Merchants House of Glasgow has awarded a grant of £1,500 to the Teapot Trust to support the delivery of an art therapy Open Group for children and young people living with Sickle Cell Disease and their families. The funding will enable Teapot Trust to provide monthly art therapy support at Sickle Cell Disease Clinics in the Haematology Department of the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow.

A representative said: “The support of the Merchants House of Glasgow will enable Teapot Trust to provide an essential art therapy Open Group supporting children and young people living with Sickle Cell Disease and their families. The Open Group is facilitated by a professional art therapist who helps the children and young people to feel calm whilst attending hospital appointments. Evidence demonstrates that this support allows children and young people to explore their feelings, build resilience and develop coping strategies.”

The aim of the project is to encourage social inclusion through the provision of open group art therapy. At each clinic, the Teapot Trust art table will be available with a professional art therapist present to support children and families. This offers a welcome distraction for children attending appointments, alongside a safe and supportive space to explore thoughts and feelings at what can often be a stressful time.

Sickle Cell Disease disproportionately affects people of African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, Eastern Mediterranean and Asian origin. As a result, this project will support children and families from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, who continue to experience some of the poorest health and wellbeing outcomes in the UK, including lower life expectancy and a higher prevalence of long-term health conditions.

The open group also provides an important opportunity for patients, families and clinicians to come together. Nurses often join the art therapy table, helping to create meaningful conversations and a strong sense of community, while providing a valuable link between psychological support and medical care.

Teapot Trust transforms the lives of children and families living with long-term, and often painful, health conditions through art therapy. Since 2010, more than 15,000 children have received art therapy support through the charity’s work.

The charity was founded in 2010 by Laura and John Young, after witnessing the gaps in care for children with rheumatological conditions during their daughter Verity’s frequent hospital visits. Art gave Verity a vital way to express herself and cope with the challenges of illness and treatment, and it became an essential support for the whole family. Inspired by this experience, Laura and John wanted to help other children and families facing similar struggles.

The name Teapot Trust comes from a simple but meaningful family ritual. Encouraging Verity to drink more fluids was an important part of managing her medication, and making ‘proper’ tea together became a comforting routine. Over time, the teapot came to symbolise support, friendship, comfort and respite.

From its beginnings in children’s rheumatology clinics in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Teapot Trust has grown through strong relationships with clinicians. Today, the charity is at the forefront of mental health support for children and young people living with chronic physical conditions across the UK, using art as a powerful and transformative tool for those who may find it difficult to express their feelings in words.

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