Category: General News

When we embarked on creating our new 1940s-1960s town we knew from the outset that we wanted it to be representative in every sense of the word. Representative of what the Black Country was like, representative of the diverse communities who lived and worked in the region, and representative of the positive and negative aspects of changing social attitudes.

We want to ensure that all colleagues are equipped with key information about the Wendy Box, and some context around the charity to enable colleagues to confidently discuss the context with our visitors and with each other. As an organisation we have worked with Scope and our Community Advisory Panel to determine the best way to display and provide context to this object.

• The collection box was created by what was originally known as the National Spastics Society in the 1950s. The charity then changed its name to The Spastics Society in 1963, and later changed its name to Scope in 1994 as it is known today.
• The young girl depicted in this object, known as Wendy, was one of a family of boxes which portrayed children with cerebral palsy (the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination).
• Over the years following the creation of the boxes, the word ‘spastic’ was used as a derogatory, cruel insult. People with cerebral palsy disliked the depiction and campaigned for their removal. Valerie Lang, who has cerebral palsy, was instrumental in the removal of the boxes.
• The boxes themselves were phased out from 1979. Instead, the charity started to focus on positive images and messages of people living with cerebral palsy.
• Today, Scope takes a pan-disability approach, works closely with people with lived experience, and campaigns against barriers of inequality.

The Wendy Box has been equipped with a scanner and is accompanied by a QR code. This enables visitors to access our dedicated webpage about the object using a mobile phone while they are experiencing it. If a visitor would like to know more but does not have a smartphone, please direct them to the colleague in Spring Hill Post Office for more information.

If you yourself, or a visitor you encounter, feels uncomfortable or would like to share some feedback please get in touch:

• Colleagues may contact their line manager, duty manager or a trusted colleague to discuss.
• Visitors may provide feedback either via telephone on 0121 557 9643, via email to [email protected], or via our postal address.

Further information:

• Download the operational notes
• Visit the Wendy Box webpage

Detailed Story Notes are now available ahead of the official opening of Langer’s Army & Navy Stores and Spring Hill Post Office at 1960s Evening on Saturday 29 June:

• Langer’s Army & Navy Stores
• Spring Hill Post Office

You can also read the Story Notes for Halesowen and Hasbury Co-op, which will be opening on Thursday 4 July.

All of our available Story Notes can be found under Useful Documents – Storytelling – Story Notes.