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The friendly contacts made with old people through the "Meals on Wheels" service
often enables the W. V. S. to hear of and to pass on to those concerned any special need
of the recipients of the meals, thereby performing a valuable service.
(b) Fulham Old Age Pensions Association
This organisation has had another busy year during which its total membership was
maintained at a figure of 400. At its Monday meetings there are free discussions on
pensions, the Rent Act, atomic weapons, etc. and there is occasionally a guest speaker.
Mr. Michael Stewart, M. P. and Dr. Adams, the Medical Officer of Health, attended on one
occasion to speak on the Clean Air Act and on another occasion a police inspector
attended to give an interesting talk on crime detection
This club now has its own concert party which receives many requests to entertain
clubs in other boroughs.
(c) Family Welfare Association
The work of this general Casework Agency brings its workers into touch with many
elderly people in the Borough to whom they are able to give advice about Homes of all
descriptions; the Family Welfare Association also administers supplementary pensions
from voluntary funds to pensioners whose welfare is assured by regular visits; financial
help is also given with material needs and recuperative holidays (if latter
recommended on medical grounds) when these are outside the scope of the statutory
services, and the Association also acts as local representative for the Wireless for
the Bedridden Society.
(d) Fulham Philanthropic Society
This old established society does good work in the Borough by making grants to
those in need a large proportion of whom are the aged and the sick During the very
cold weather in the early part of this year grants for coal were made to the Society's
pensioners Other old people received assistance towards the cost of a holiday,
repairs to radio or in a variety of other ways.
(e) British Red Cross Society
658 visits to elderly people were made by this Society during the year The Good
Companions Club, which meets at the Munster Park Methodist Chureh Hall continues to
flourish and one of its activities this year was a visit to Chartwell This Society
runs the Brunswick Luncheon Club which last year served a total of 5,625 lunches. The
Society is regularly called upon to provide escorts for elderly people attending
hospital and to loan medical aids Apart from the chiropody administered at the
clinic at the Society's centre, domiciliary chiropody is arranged periodically for
elderly persons unable through incapacity to attend the clinic.
(f) Bishop Creighton House
The 150 visits made each month by voluntary visitors from Bishop Creighton House
to housebound old people is a very valuable contribution to old peoples work Through
this friendly contact the Settlement is able to see that the various social services
available in the Borough are made known and where necessary brought to those they visit.
Membership of the Tuesday and Friday Clubs was maintained during the year and the
members enjoyed a full programme of social activities One of the four clubs run by
the Settlement is the Hospital Club held in a chronic sick ward at Fulham Hospital.
All but a few of the patients are virtually helpless. Those who are able to do so are
invited to play games of whist and draughts which helps so much in providing a welcome
diversion from routine. More helpers are urgently required for this work.