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On 3rd February 1953, the first delivery was made by Borough
Council staff and transport. Seventeen meals were delivered to homebound old people and bulk food was taken to three clubs, where it
was served up by volunteers to club members. By August the three
clubs had closed, due either to lack of customers or lack of volunteer
servitors. Every effort was made to include in the home delivery
scheme any necessitous cases who still required meals and who were
deprived of them owing to the clubs closing down. The number of
meals delivered to homes had by now increased to about 40 per day,
and this number has been maintained for the rest of the year. It has
been found that 40 is the maximum number which can be delivered
with one unit comprising a van, driver, and female attendant. Our
clientele is ever changing for various reasons; some die, others are
taken to hospital and for this reason it is necessary that regular visits
be made. Although no claim will be made that the meals improve
health or extend the expectation of life, there is nevertheless no doubt
whatsoever that the old people derive tremendous pleasure from the
fact that there is something to look forward to in most of their remaining
days, if not the meal then the knowledge that someone who has their
interests at heart will be calling on them.
In the Autumn of the year a quantity of packet tea and sugar was
received from a Bermondsey school for distribution to homebound
old people, the Headmaster of the school having recommended his
scholars to take gifts of this nature to school for their Harvest Festival
instead of the customary fruit, flowers and vegetables. The commodities
were distributed a little at a time and were received with very
grateful thanks, being the most useful type of gift to make to old people:
they all, without exception, enjoy a cup of tea. Each packet was accompanied
by a neatly written, nicely worded, little note from its donor.
During the Christmas Holiday the London County Council
Kitchen which supplies the food was closed and in order to ensure
that the old people had a Christmas Dinner, forty frozen dinners,
comprising roast turkey, stuffing, brussels sprouts, creamed potatoes,
and Christmas pudding, were purchased by the Council for the Welfare
of Old People and distributed on Christmas Eve, together with a parcel
of sweets, a Christmas card, and a handshake by the Secretary of the
Council for the Welfare of Old People and a member of the staff.
One customer, a lady of 78 years whose husband had died and
whose children had moved away, was experiencing that common
complaint of old people, loneliness. After a very active life in local
affairs, she was rendered homebound by chronic arthritis: her depression
got to such a state that it was felt necessary to recommend
her for admission to an Old People's Home. A vacancy was found
in one of the London County Council's smaller Homes and I have
since heard from her to the effect that she is happier than she has ever
been in her life.
The staff of the Department have also taken on various extra
voluntary duties, such as arranging chiropody, obtaining and supplying
wireless sets, distributing gifts of clothing, flowers, food, etc., and
many other little persona l matters have been attended to where
necessary.