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The National Spastics Society was founded in 1952 by a group of parents - Ian Dawson-Shepherd, Eric Hodgson, Alex Moira and a social worker - Jean Garwood. In 1963 it merged with the British Council for the Welfare of Spastics to become The Spastics Society.
Their first residential service was opened in 1953 and the first school in 1955. 1970 saw the opening of the first Spastics Society shop. The charity’s collecting boxes, in the shapes of small boys and girls, were a familiar sight around the UK.

The Spastics Society sponsored five issues of the National Coal Board’s [qv] cinemagazine, Review, in the 1970s and 1980s, to promote the cause and work of the charity. They include, ‘CAN ANYONE UNDERSTAND’ in Review 30th Year No.2 of October 1976, ‘A MARVELLOUS BEGINNING’ in Review 33rd Year No.4 of December 1979 and ‘WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?' in Review 36th Year No.2 of October 1982.

In 1994, the 40th anniversary year, The Spastics Society Annual General Meeting voted in favour of a name change, and the organisation relaunched itself under the name Scope. The word "spastic" had become a term of abuse and was seen as being an out-of-date label whereas Scope was a forward-looking name and would illustrate the way in which the organisation was trying to broaden its aims and horizons.

Scope celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2002 and continues to work to ensure equality for disabled people, especially those with cerebral palsy.

Sources

NoS Number 346852; Review 30th Year Number 2; Date released October 1976: NoS Number 346773; Review 33rd Year Number 4; Date released December 1979: NoS Number 346837; Review 36th Year Number 2; Date released October 1982: www.scope.org.uk; Accessed 10/5/2006.