A statue by artist Damien Hirst which aims to challenge our prejudices around disability was today installed next to London's Gherkin tower.
The seven-metre high sculpture, called Charity, is based on a 1960s charity collection box depicting a disabled young girl clutching a teddy bear and a collection tin.
Scope withdrew the collection boxes in the 1980s in favour of promoting positive images of disabled people.
Hirst's version depicts the charity box as worn and vandalised, with a crowbar laying next to the girl and her empty collection tin.
The 50-year-old artist has said the work aims to question society's historical tradition of representing charity as a pitiful image.
The statue was today installed next to the Gherkin as part of the 2015 Sculpture in the City exhibition, along with 13 other sculptures.
Alan Gosschalk, fundraising director at Scope, says: "Charity is an iconic piece of art. It is also a symbol of changing attitudes to disability over the past 50 years, since collection boxes like the one depicted in this sculpture were seen on high streets across the country.
"This artwork highlights an outdated vision of charity and disability. However, while attitudes to disabled people have improved in this time, many people still feel awkward about disability.
"We hope that this sculpture will encourage conversations about disability amongst people in our capital."
Now in its third public showing, Charity was originally installed in Hoxton Square in 2003.
