A TEENAGER has been honoured with a national accolade for his work as an ambassador with a Musselburgh-based art therapy charity.

William Cuthill, 13, who has raised more than £5,000 for Teapot Trust SCIO, has been named ‘Inspirational Young Person 12-14 Years’ in the GSK WellChild Awards 2021.

So far, he has raised more than £5,000 for the charity, located at Eskmills Park, which provides art therapy for children with chronic conditions.

His efforts, considering the “dire consequences” of Covid-19 on the charity sector, have been described as “quite amazing”.

Teapot Trust thanked everyone who sponsored him and bought his artwork.

William, from Angus, was picked from hundreds of nominations from across the UK to win the category of ‘Inspirational Young Person’ at the awards, which celebrate the resilience of children living with serious illnesses or complex conditions.

He attended a star-studded private party at London’s Kew Gardens organised by WellChild and met the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry.

Teapot Trust SCIO founder and trustee Dr Laura N Young, from Gullane, nominated the teenager for the award because of his dedication to the charity, seeing him juggle his schoolwork, his health condition and time in hospital for medication and appointments.

William, who has juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), is one of many children who appear well on the outside but internally their body is struggling to function normally without constant medication.

His condition causes William to have very painful joints, like rheumatoid arthritis in adults, with low mobility and energy.

He must see many consultants, two of whom also nominated him for his award.

They saw how, despite the number of times he was in pain and to and from hospital, he was always positive and looking for ways to promote the art therapy offered by Teapot Trust SCIO.

Dr Young said: “The efforts and lengths to which William has gone for us are exceptional for any young person and would be worthy of honouring.

“However, he has done this work whilst struggling with his own health condition with days not feeling great, such as low energy and pain.

“William soldiers on, thinking of everyone else but himself. He is a very special boy who would be astounded to properly understand how much his help has been appreciated.

“He is one of those few people who gives without question.

“The knowledge of the appreciation of his efforts will no doubt spur him on but will, we hope, also make others aware not only of what he endures but also what he contributes despite this.”

As a junior ambassador, he has attended time-consuming board meetings.

William also gifted his school science project to Teapot Trust. His work refers to ‘a child’ with JIA rather than to himself to protect himself amongst his peers.

The life-sized model knee he created showcases a Baker’s cyst alongside his inspiring text, raising the profile of an invisible disease and the challenges children are faced with.

He has talked about this model, which has given the Teapot Trust staff and a wider audience a much greater understanding of what can go wrong in a joint.

He has also revealed how isolating and lonely it can feel to suffer in silence.