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Old People's Welfare Committee, consisting of representatives of most of
them and of the Health Committee, and of which I have been privileged to be
Honorary Secretary. It has operated therefore in very close association with
the Services provided by the Council and has received from it financial
grants towards its expenses. In addition to co-ordination it has also undertaken
responsibility for the services indicated with the initials F.O.P.W.C.
in brackets below.
(a) Visitors: A Nurse Visitor and Assistant Nurse Visitor have been
employed whose duties involve the regular visiting of aged persons,
particularly those living alone, who are likely to be in need of care and
attention.
The main duties of the staff of the Finsbury Old People's Welfare
Committee are to aid all the aged to obtain such benefits as might be available
from any source, and to give personal help, comfort and friendship
wherever possible. In this and other ways information has become available
as to most of the elderly in need, but occasionally others are found whom
had they been known earlier might have been helped. The staff consists of a
Social Worker and two Assistant Social Workers.
(b) Meal Services (i) Club Meals: Many of the elderly, particularly those
who live alone, are apt to take insufficient food, not only because of
expense but also because of the difficulty and trouble involved in preparing
a satisfactory meal for one. Dinner services, therefore, have been instituted
through voluntary associations throughout the Borough. A grant is given to
the associations by the Council to cover their expenses and further grants
are made by the Finsbury Borough Council and Finsbury Old People's Welfare
Committee to enable the meals to be supplied at a cosc of elevenpence per
head to the elderly. During 1964, 29,114 meals were served from Meal
Centres, as against 21,840 in 1963.
The following centres were in operation for 3 to 5 days weekly throughout
the year:
(i) Women's Voluntary Service, 68 Exmouth Market, E.C.I.
(ii) Field Lane Community Centre, Cubitt St., E.C.I, in connection with
Field Lane Institution, 16 Vine Hill, E.C.I.
(iii) Claremont Central Mission, White Lion St., N.l.
(iv) Finsbury Mission, Moreland Street, E.C.I.
(v) Leysian Mission, 106 Old Street, E.C.I, (from March, 1964).
(ii) Mobile Meals: Aged persons unable, by reasons 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". 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.
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