Diana O'Hara - Founder Member of SCAN - Edited from ‘Remembering Diana’ by former Chair of SCAN, Wyn Pockett
Diana was one of the people who felt it important to set up an organisation in Spelthorne to campaign for improvement to access and facilities for disabled people. She believed it was important for people with disabilities to speak up about what was needed to help them to participate in work, leisure and other activities; to use their own experience of what the obstructions and difficulties are, and how they can be overcome, by giving advice to those responsible for service development.

She had the ability and confidence to do this not everybody can. Her attitude to disability was , it is not the disability that is the problem but the obstruction, and the attitude of some regarding the abilities and needs of disabled people.

Spelride and Staines Shopmobilty were two of the services that she helped to develop. She was involved in the steering groups to set them up and continued as a Trustee of Shopmobility.

During the development of Shopmobility Diana was often not feeling very well but despite this she was fully involved, finding the energy to travel to visit other projects with Elizabeth Berrisford, another very active person with disabilities. Elizabeth was Chair of the steering group  and later first Chair of SCAN and she and Diana went together to learn about how the services were run in other towns.

Many will remember her as a very charming Mayoress when her husband Cllr John O’Hara was Mayor of Spelthorne. To those who met her in this role she was always smiling and interested in what was going on with all voluntary organisations. Photographer for Mayor and Mrs O’Hara was Vic Kettle. Both Photos donated for publication by John O’Hara