Member Article

Builder’s cash boost to support art therapy for children

A regional builder has given a cash boost to a pioneering service to help fund art therapy for chronically ill children in Edinburgh. Persimmon Homes East Scotland, which has its headquarters in Bathgate, donated £750 to the Teapot Trust through its Community Champions scheme. The builder chose the group to benefit from its monthly match-funded donation.
Qualified art therapists offer a range of open group, one-to-one, and ward based sessions at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. The sessions help children build resilience and reduce anxiety by encouraging them to express emotions and develop healthy coping mechanisms. Caitlin Meagher, Community Fundraiser for the Teapot Trust, said: “We were delighted to hear the news that we had been chosen to receive funding from Persimmon and can’t thank them enough for their support. The art therapy that we provide makes a huge difference to children and their families going through a daunting time in their lives. Reducing anxiety before medical procedures and helping children talk about their feelings all contributes towards their emotional, and in turn, physical health.” Founded in 2010 by Dr Laura Young and her husband John, Teapot Trust is now Scotland’s largest employer of art therapists, with 21 people running 23 projects in 10 towns and cities, from Inverness to London, and the Isle of Man. Both Laura and John felt that there were gaps in the ongoing care of their daughter Verity. Suffering from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and cancer, Verity tragically died in 2008 at the age of nine but had spent much of her life coping with her illnesses. Art became a form of therapy that took Verity’s mind off her treatment and left a lasting legacy when her parents co-founded Teapot Trust. Jim Kirkpatrick, managing director for Persimmon Homes East Scotland, said: “Finding out how John and Laura turned their personal tragedy into an amazing charity made them an easy choice when it came to choosing a Community Champion this month. “Seeing your child in hospital is a heart-wrenching experience for any parent and we are proud to support Teapot Trust and the specialist art therapy it provides in Edinburgh.”
Jim added that they receive many worthy applications every month, and urged charities who had not been successful to apply again. To nominate and to find out about the terms and conditions people can visit the Persimmon Homes website.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nicky Hind .