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A grant is given to the associations by the Council to cover their
expenses and further grants are made by the London County Council and
Finsbury Old People's Welfare Committee, to enable the meals to be
supplied at a cost of elevenpence per head to the elderly During
each year from 1956 to 1960 about 20,000 meals were served in this way
except in 1958 when the numbers fell to 17,500. In 1960 the figure
was 20, 062
The following centres have been in operation for 3 to 5 days
weekly throughout the five years, except where otherwise stated.
(i) Women's Voluntary Service, 68 Exmouth Market, E C, 1-
(li) British Red Cross Society, Old People's Centre,9 Walmsley St
E.Col. (Closed for Meal Services June 1959).
(iii) Field Lane Community Centre, Cubitt St., EC 1 in connection
with Field Lane Institution, 16 Vine Hill,, EC 1
(iv) Claremont Central Mission, White Lion Street, N 1„
(v) St Clements Hall, Lever Street, E C.l. (Closed in July 1958
because of lack of voluntary help).
(vi) Finsbury Mission, Moreland Street, E. C. 1.
(Opened early in 1959)„
(v11) British Red Cross Society, Community Centre Priory Green
Estate, N 1 (Opened in July 1959 and closed in 1960 because
of poor attendance).
Mobile Meals Aged persons unable, by reason of sickness
and infirmity to attend one of the meal centres have been supplied
with a hot meal delivered to their home by the "Invalid Meals of
London' 1 Until 1958 this voluntary organisation operated in close
association with the Borough Council, and a substantial grant was made
to them Since then they have operated independently Their main
object is to supply invalid meals to the sick rather than normal meals
to those who merely, on account of physical infirmity, are unable to
go out Nevertheless many meals have been supplied to such persons
The service is however restricted
Towards the end of 1960 theFinsbury Old People's Welfare Committee
decided to undertake experimentally on a small scale, the delivery of
frozen whole meals which only required to be heated in the impervious
envelope in which they were delivered by placing it in boiling water
in a saucepan for 15 minutes The idea was that this service might be
valuable for those not within the purview of the "Invalid Meals of
London", but yet were unable to attend a centre or to cater adequately
for themselves The service was initiated in the last few days of tne
year.
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