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Municipal Club
For a number of years, the Public Health Committee have
been conscious of the ever increasing problem of the care of old
people. Sufficient evidence was produced by the Welfare Assistants
to show that, in addition to the Meals on Wheels service, there was
need for a club which could provide hot mid-day meals to elderly
persons who were not housebound and, therefore, did not come
within the scope of the service. There were many individuals, living
a solitary existence, who found that, apart from the expense in-volved,
it had become too much of an effort to cook a daily meal for
themselves and they had gradually adopted a regular diet of bread,
margarine and tea. This is frequently the case when a man loses
his wife and finds great difficulty in fending for himself. A diet of
this kind rapidly causes deterioration in mind and body and, if not
supplemented, often produces a condition from which there is little
likelihood of recovery.
Although the Borough is fortunate in that it has a number of
voluntarily operated clubs which are an invaluable source of
relaxation for old people it was obvious that, mainly because of the
shortage of voluntary assistance, alternative methods would have
to be adopted if a meals club were to be operated successfully, and
the Council therefore considered the possibility of opening a
Municipal Club under the provisions of Section 4 of the Physical
Training and Recreation Act 1937.
Fortunately, at that time, certain accommodation in the Public
Health Centre, Grange Road, was vacated by the Hospital Management
Committee, which, from all points of view, was ideal for the
purpose envisaged, and after the rooms had been decorated in
varying pastel shades and suitable furniture and kitchen utensils
purchased, a Club Leader was appointed and the Club officially
opened by the Mayor on 15th May 1958 in the presence of Council
members, welfare workers and club members.
Perhaps not surprisingly, some of the subsequent reactions of
members to the facilities provided at the Club were not anticipated.
For instance, one large room was divided into fairly spacious
cubicles and it was thought that these would be suitable for uninterrupted
games of dominoes or cards, or even group gossip, but
it soon became apparent that members preferred the community
atmosphere of the main club room. This was also found to be true
in the Workrooms where it was evident that employees preferred to
work as one unit rather than in small groups. In view of this, the
Public Health Committee gave authority for the cubicles to be
dismantled and the accommodation used as an additional dining
room as well as for social activities during the afternoon when the
club is often full to capacity.
Members are encouraged to assist as much as possible in
running the Club. There is no shortage of volunteers to wash up,