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24.

2. The Council's Holiday & Rest Home at Copthorne, on the borders of
Surrey and Sussex, standing in its own 9-acre grounds has, since 1947.
provided cheap country holidays for those residents in the Borough
who could not otherwise afford a holiday away from home. The charges
range on a sliding scale from £2. 10s. down, according to income and age,
old age pensioners paying only 10/- per week. Unfortunately, during
the holiday season their stay has to be strictly limited to 2 weeks
each, to cope with the rush. As country holidays are not popular
between October and May, an approach was made in 1949 to King Edward's
Hospital Fund for London, with a view to our assisting with the problem
of helping mothers with young babies to tide over that crucial period
between leaving hospital and resuming their full home duties. The
Fund's Committee responded so genercusly that we feel that the Home is
now up to first-class standards and is found acceptable to people in
all parts of the country where the King's Fund Directory circulates,
especially since the Trustees of our Shoreditch Sunbabies' Day Nursery
presented a large television set for use during inclement weather, and
a climbing frame and outdoor slide for children at other times. The
spacious lawns with revolving shelters to trap the sun and exclude
cold winds ensure that benefit is obtained from every moment of sunshine,
even at the worst times of the year, and for those able to indulge in
outdoor habits, all stages from coach trips to Brighton, through putting
and bowls, country strolls or darts, even as far as lawn tennis are
possible, and a first class golf course is within easy walking distance.