CELEBRITY endorsements, high-profile meetings and a push for new supporters – it’s been a busy few months for Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year Laura Young.

“The afterglow of SWOTY has been incredible,” says Laura, who founded art therapy charity the Teapot Trust.

“It is a touchpaper that has lit up all kinds of exciting and good feelings about the charity and I’m honoured to be part of it.”

Laura set up the charity following the death of her daughter Verity, who hated visiting hospital for treatment during her battle with lupus and cancer.

It now employs 17 art therapists in Scotland and London.

Since being awarded the 2016 title, Laura has been hard at work continuing to raise the profile of the trust around the UK.

She met Prime Minister Theresa May at a special reception at Downing Street to celebrate International Women’s Day and joined women of influence from across Scotland at the prestigious Women of Achievement awards lunch in London’s Caledonian Club.

At the latter, she met model Stella Tennant, who is a longtime supporter of the Teapot Trust.

“We have been delighted to have Stella’s support in the past – she is very supportive of our work as she studied art at University and has her own Tennant and Tennant art business,” says Laura. “She just gets how important it is to “get lost” in painting or drawing.”

“It was a fantastic event – I had the opportunity to speak, alongside Stella and Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood, so it was a lovely opportunity to spread the word about the Teapot Trust.”

Laura also met Dr Chris Van Tulleken, the doctor and TV presenter best known for Operation Ouch! the CBBC programme he presents with his twin brother Dr Xand.

“Dr Chris came in to meet the art therapists at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, our newest addition to the service,” says Laura.

“He was great – he spent time with them and some of the children. He was very interested in the role art therapy plays in building a sense of wellbeing.”

Dr Chris tweeted about his visit, saying: “Art isn’t just fun - it can help kids express things that words don’t cover. Thanks for a great day with a great charity: Teapot Trust.”

Laura explains: “It’s been a busy few months, but I love talking about the charity – it never feels like hard work. Spreading the message about what we do is the fun bit.”

Since the start of the year, the trust has taken on new members of staff and more student placements in Aberdeen and London.

“We want to take on more as we continue to develop,” she says.

“We’re hoping to increase the capacity of our existing projects – we are already starting to build up waiting lists in some hospitals – and widen the geographical spread of our projects to the north of England. We have set our sights on Liverpool, Sheffield and Manchester.”

She adds: “There is lots to be done, lots more to achieve.”

Laura is also hoping more people will fundraise for the charity throughout 2017 and beyond.

“We hope more and more people will hold ‘tea and craft’ parties for us - we are very grateful to all who fundraise and it would be great to see even more getting behind us,” she adds.

“Winning SWOTY was a catalyst for building excitement around the Teapot Trust and the next six months is about getting stuck in.”

If you would like more information about the Teapot Trust, or want to find out how to fundraise for them, visit their website at www.teapot-trust.org. If you are raising money, tell us your story - we’d love to hear what you are doing for the charity. Email ann.fotheringham@heraldandtimes.co.uk or call 0141 302 6555.

BEING part of SWOTY has inspired two Glasgow women to ‘raise the stakes’ in a bid to boost funds for their charity.

Jo Middlemiss and Maureen Burnett, who were Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year finalists in 2015, provide much-needed funds for a women’s health project in Ethiopia.

The two women visit the poverty-stricken country once a year, armed with supplies and funds donated by people from all over Scotland, and have been instrumental in building a health clinic in Buccama.

Over the years, they have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds.

But the experience of being part of SWOTY has encouraged them to broaden their horizons even further, as Jo explains.

“We are just back from our latest trip and we got to see the wonderful extension to the clinic, which we funded in 2016,” she says.

“We got such a warm welcome - outriders met us at the sign and their horn beeping was the signal for the singing and dancing to start in earnest, as they escorted us through.

“We were amazed at the standard of building, and just how attractively it sat within the site, surrounded by trees and flowers.”

She adds: “We are also delighted that government officials have now stated that women’s health, in particular uterine prolapse, which is the basis for our charity, is no longer to be ignored. That’s a huge step forward in this area.”

The clinic now houses new beds and bathrooms, thanks to a donation from the East of Scotland Rotary Clubs, which means up to 20 additional patients can now be looked after.

However, despite their delight at the progress made, Maureen and Jo were devastated to see so many families living in poverty.

“The absolute dignity of the elderly men, and women, living well below our “breadline”, struck us again and again,” says Jo. “It is hard not to feel helpless in the face of it all.

“Now that our commitment to the clinic has expanded, and its needs have expanded too, we must look forward to where we go next.”

The two women have been given a fantastic opportunity by the new owners of Glasgow’s South Rotunda on the banks of the Clyde to run an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the renovated building.

It will take place on June 17 – check the group’s website www.ethiopiamedicalproject.com or Facebook page for more details.

Jo says: “Our SWOTY experience gave us the inspiration to raise the stakes and we feel it is time to take the charity wider than friends and family and reach out to greater Glasgow to continue our mission.”