View report page

Health, whose chief duty was to be the supervision and direction
of the Council's Maternity and Child Welfare activities.
In 1922, the Clerkenwell Centre was removed from Newcastle
Place to a temporary home at the old Sessions House, Clerkenwell
Green. The transfer was intended only as a preliminary measure
to a larger scheme, which was rendered feasible by the kindness
of the Marquess of Northampton, who came forward with an offer
of a site as a free gift to the Borough. The site is that upon which
this useful building has been erected, and this opportunity is taken
by the Borough Council to record their appreciation of His Lordship's
generosity.
The cost is £7,500, towards which the Ministry of Health has
contributed £2,500.
When to this actual outlay is added the value of the site, it
will be seen that the whole constitutes an important property ; and
it may be said that the Council regard it with feelings of gratification
as the climax of their work in this area, and with the hope that their
effort will prove of lasting and ever-growing benefit to the mothers
and infants of the Borough.
A word as to the "infantile mortality rate" for the Borough
of Finsbury, or, in other words, the death rate amongst infants
under 1 year of age. In 1902, this stood, for the Borough, at
154 deaths per 1,000 infants. For the Clerkenwell area, which
this new Centre will serve, the average rate at that period was
180 per 1,000. In the year 1927 the rate for Finsbury was 50.3
and for the Clerkenwell area 50.8 per 1,000. The infant mortality
for 1927 is exceedingly low, and is a most critical index of the
sanitary administration and the public health welfare of the community.
The excellence of this result speaks most highly of the
care, energy and engaging interest taken in Child Welfare by the
Council, the Public Health and Child Welfare Committees.
Description of the Building
The new building has a frontage of 50 feet to Pine Street and
130 feet to Vineyard Walk, both of which roads will be widened