Londoners and tourists alike will today [1 October] be transported back to Victorian times with a free public event at the heart of London’s West End.
Actors in Victorian costume will bring to life the remarkable story of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury (1801-1885) beside the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain at Piccadilly Circus. Live performances will take place between 11am-3pm.
This famous London landmark with its iconic winged statue of Anteros (commonly referred to as Eros) was built to commemorate the pioneering social reformer whose campaigning and social reforms alleviated the suffering of some of the poorest and most vulnerable in Victorian society.
Shaftesbury Day is hosted by national disability charity Shaftesbury to celebrate the lasting legacy of the 7th Earl as its founder. It comes 141 years to the day since his death and 200 years since he first became an MP.
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury, will be at Piccadilly Circus and available for media interviews and photographs. As Vice-Patron of the charity, he champions people with disabilities and shares in his ancestor’s vision for a more inclusive society.
Shaftesbury Day will raise awareness of how the charity is continuing the work first started in 1844 by its founder and namesake.
Today Shaftesbury is a nationwide charity supporting more than 4,000 children, young people and adults a year across its network of disability care, special education and rehabilitation services.
Unveiled in 1893, the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain is one of London’s most recognisable landmarks. Anteros, the Greek God of requited love, is symbolic of the Christian charity of Lord Shaftesbury, a much-admired hero of Victorian London who became known as the ‘Poor Man’s Earl’. Hundreds of thousands turned out for his funeral in 1885 and a public campaign subsequently raised funds for the national memorial in his honour.
Although commonly mistaken for Eros, the Anteros statue has become part of London’s cultural identity and features in the branding of the Evening Standard newspaper. The iconic monument also holds special significance for Shaftesbury, a charity that has been empowering people with disabilities for more than 180 years.
At 6pm, a wreath-laying ceremony will be held to commemorate Lord Shaftesbury at Westminster Abbey. Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury, will give a reading and lay a wreath at the foot of the statue of his ancestor. Few other historical figures have been honoured with a memorial statue at the Abbey.
Readings will also be heard from people whose lives are supported by Shaftesbury and the charity’s CEO, Sally Chivers.
Sally Chivers says: “Today we honour Lord Shaftesbury’s legacy and share how the mission he began in 1844 continues to transform lives today.
“Our work stems from the Ragged School Union which provided free education for 300,000 vulnerable children in Victorian England. It has now grown into a nationwide network of support, enabling thousands of people with disabilities to live with greater independence and opportunity.
“Like Lord Shaftesbury, we give people with disabilities the skills and abilities to achieve purposeful, happy lives in ways of their choosing.”
Nicholas Ashley-Cooper says: “Shaftesbury Day reminds us of the profound impact one person’s vision and commitment can have on future generations. Shaftesbury’s work continues to be shaped by my ancestor’s founding principles and it’s important to me that his extraordinary contribution to society is not forgotten. As Vice-Patron of Shaftesbury, I am proud to be part of his legacy.”
In her 1974 biography of the 7th Earl, Georgina Battiscombe writes: “No man has in fact ever done more to lessen the extent of human misery or to add to the sum total of human happiness.”
For more information and a map of other historical sites connected with Lord Shaftesbury, visit:
https://www.shaftesburygroup.org/shaftesbury-day
