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71
Transported Meals for Old People. The British Red Crose Society,
Greenwich and Deptford Division, were running a scheme for "Meals
on Wheels" and this Council decided to make a monetary contribution
to the Society in order that the scheme might be expanded
from the 1st January, 1950.
This provided for meals being delivered to old persons who were
homebound and for meals in bulk to be delivered to the O.A.Ps Club
in Swallowfield Road. The cost of a meal is subsidised to the
extent of 4d. by the London County Council and the recipient pays
the balance of 8d.
An amount of £65 was contributed by this Council to the
British Red Cross Society for the period 1st January to 31st March,
1950, and a further amount of £200 for the financial year commencing
1st April, 1950. This was to enable the Society to obtain
and renew, when necessary, equipment such as containers in which
the food is kept hot, and also to pay a part-time driver of the existing
"Utilicon" van. In this way it was expected generally to assist in
the expansion of the scheme and finally to effect a daily delivery
of these meals from Mondays to Fridays.
By the middle of the year about 100 Old Age Pensioners were
having meals delivered to their home addresses and a few of this
number received two meals per week.
By the end of the year nearly half of this number were receiving
two meals weekly, making an average daily delivery of about 30.
In addition to these figures, the Society delivered in bulk about 60
meals per week, 30 on each of two separate days, to the Old Age
Pensioners Club, Swallowfield Road.
The arrangements appear to be very satisfactory and at the end
of the year the British Red Cross Society's facilities still permitted
of a little more expansion of these numbers.
Burial or Cremation of the Dead.—Under Section 50 of
the National Assistance Act, 1948, the Council is required to arrange
for the burial or cremation of any person who has died or has been
found dead in the Borough if in such cases it appears to the Council
that no suitable funeral arrangements have been or are being made.
The Council is empowered, if it so desires, to recover expenses
for the burial or cremation from the estate of the deceased person or
from any person who, for the purposes of this Act, was liable to
maintain the deceased person immediately prior to his death.
During 1950 arrangements were made, under the above Act,
for the burial of 10 bodies (6 males and 4 females). The total
expenses of these burials amounted to £84. 7s. 9d., of which the sum
of £42. 7s. 4d. was recovered, making the not cost to the Council
£42. 0s. 5d.