RoSPA in midst of centenary celebrations

Image: RoSPA via Twitter

The Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is celebrating its centenary this year, with an exhibition highlighting some of its key achievements over the last 100 years – and a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

RoSPA was born out of the London ‘Safety First’ Council, which was founded in 1916. Its original remit was to tackle the ‘alarming increase in traffic accidents, and the direct connection therewith of the restricted street lighting which had been necessitated by the War conditions’.

The organisation was renamed RoSPA, with the agreement of King George VI, in 1941. Since then, it has been at the heart of accident prevention in the UK, and around the world.

The pinnacle of the centenary celebrations was a garden party, hosted by HRH The Duke of York and HRH Princess Eugenie of York, at Buckingham Palace on 25 May. 3,500 of RoSPA’s supporters, members and other guests attended the event.

Last month also saw the opening of an exhibition at the Library of Birmingham, documenting the history of family-safety charity – including a selection of its ‘famous and much sought-after posters’.

The family-friendly exhibition begins with RoSPA’s inception and early work on road safety during the blackouts of the First World War. It also includes details of the charity’s current activities, including the Keeping Kids Safe campaign.

The country’s most famous road safety squirrel, Tufty, is also in attendance at the exhibition which runs until 13 July.

Errol Taylor, RoSPA’s acting chief executive, said: “RoSPA has a rich and expansive history, having worked across a host of sectors which touch on day-to-day life for generations, and I’m sure that many visitors to the exhibition will enjoy reminiscing about our safety campaigns – be it Tufty, Cycling Proficiency, or our unique workplace safety posters.

“Many of the safety messages shared through these campaigns have stood the test of time and they remain at the heart of our work with families today.

“Our methods of communication might be more technological nowadays, with a big focus on the digital sphere, but our commitment remains the same as we tackle the rising number of home and leisure accidents.”