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grants to voluntary organisations to permit expansion and extension
to their "meals-on-wheels" scheme and, from the 1st January, 1950,
the Council made its first grant to the British Red Cross Society
for this purpose. At that time the Council felt that the meal
provided, although generally satisfactory, was, perhaps, not
dietetically suitable for old people and when the London County
Council suspended its kitchen service in January, 1955, advantage
was taken to enter into a more satisfactory arrangement with a
local restaurateur. During 1964, meals-on-wheels were being
supplied at an annual rate of 36,000.
It was realised by the Greenwich Old People's Welfare Association
that the "meals-on-wheels" scheme did not reach all those
older folk who required some supplementation to their diet. In
1956, therefore, it made available to the retired people welfare
foods at preferential rates and the growth of this scheme has been
substantial.
Stimulated by the obvious advantages accruing from the
"meals-on-wheels" scheme, the Greenwich Old People's Welfare
Association made determined efforts to ensure that, not only homebound
but other elderly people were afforded the opportunity to
obtain a balanced, hot midday meal. Accordingly, as a pilot scheme,
a luncheon club was opened at the Minor Hall in October, 1963.
This proved so successful that, by the end of 1964, two more
luncheon clubs were in operation and the opening of a further two
was under active consideration.
These luncheon clubs, besides providing a satisfying meal at
a nominal price, have an added therapeutic value. They attract
the elderly from their homes and, in so doing, maximum benefit is
derived by the aged from the effort of dressing and titivating and
the energy, mental and physical, involved in mixing with others.
Furthermore, the chances of getting the diners interested in outside
activities is greatly enhanced.
Support in the form of a grant was being given in 1951 to
the W.V.S. and its four "Darby and Joan" Clubs and in 1953,
the Council, by giving a substantial sum to the Greenwich Old
People's Welfare Committee, enabled 114 elderly people to take
a holiday at Margate. Homebound were taken to Lancing for
their vacation and other groups of people unsuitable for this type
of holiday were catered for by outings into the Kent countryside
and by parties and entertainments at the Council's Community
Centres. These arrangements became permanent and popular
annual features in the old people's calendar. Demand for holidays
became greater than could be satisfied under the conditions then
prevailing, for other Boroughs were making increasing inroads on