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munity. Christmas gifts were received from several sources and
school girls made Christmas decorations and hung them in one
of the Homes.
By means of the Department's own transport, regular short
outings for shopping and visits to local beauty spots were arranged
for old folk fit enough to benefit from them. During summer,
longer outings were organised.
Residents who were able so to do, were encouraged to take
summer holidays with relatives or friends but for those who could
not make their own arrangements, the Council provided a holiday.
Newspapers and periodicals were provided for residents' use
and arrangements made with the Borough Librarian for the loan
of books, including large print books.
Regular religious services are held in the Homes for those
who wish to participate and are unable to venture out for worship.
Day Club—An innovation is the setting-up of a small Day
Club within a Home. Groups of lonely, less active old people in
the vicinity are taken to have a midday meal and join the residents
in the amenities of the Home for a few hours. The scheme is
appreciated both by visitors and residents alike.
Transfer of Residents—Requests for transfer to other districts
are not infrequent from residents who wish to be moved nearer
to relatives and friends. This is no easy matter but, by means
of mutual exchanges with residents in other areas and the use of
Voluntary Homes, it has been possible to assist in some 20 cases.
Future Development—It is the intention to replace the
accommodation now being used at Southern Grove Lodge as
soon as possible with six small purpose-built Homes within this
Borough to give a total of 300 beds. This will be all the more
necessary for not only is there a waiting list of over 100 but the
number of elderly persons in the Borough is increasing; more
people are living to retiring age and beyond and those now
seeking admission to Homes are often older and more infirm than
was previously the case.
The first of these projects to be erected is to be on the
development site at Gavestone Crescent. It will accommodate 60
elderly and infirm persons, has provision for a day centre and
lunch club and hopes are that it will be completed during 1968.
Voluntary Homes—In addition to Part III accommodation,
69 Greenwich residents who are aged, blind or physically handicapped
were maintained in voluntary Homes or Hostels of various
types throughout the country. Some of these establishments cater
for special handicaps, e.g., Chalfont Colony for epileptics, Kyre
Park for spastics, etc., and others provide for particular classes
such as war veterans, merchant seamen, members of religious