View report page

154
Recreational Facilities for the Elderly
Day Clubs for the Homebound—Since 1957 a Day Club for
homebound elderly has operated at Kidbrooke House, Shooters Hill
Road, S.E.3, and it provides much appreciated recreational
facilities and companionship. Members of the club are transported
by the Council's coach on five days of the week, meals being
prepared and served by the W.R.V.S. Each week about 50 homebound
persons are able to take advantage of a service which is
so successful that the Council's Welfare Committee is anxious to
establish similar clubs elsewhere in the Borough. However, as suitable
premises with a high standard of comfort are difficult to obtain,
the Committee decided, as an experiment, to use Old People's
Homes for this purpose and a pilot scheme at Sunbury Lodge was
authorised. Up to eight elderly persons are conveyed on three days
of the week to this centre where they enjoy a hot midday meal and
the recreational facilities of the Home. Every effort has been made
to welcome these visitors to the Home and care is taken to see that
the domestic character of the premises, which is 'home' to the residents,
is retained. Voluntary workers assist in escort and other
duties and there are hopes that, in the near future, similar arrangements
will be made in respect of other Old People's Homes.
Day Clubs for the Elderly—A number of elderly persons,
whilst fit and active, are of a 'retiring' nature and are either
unwilling or find difficulty in joining a large club. Therefore, in an
endeavour to encourage them to mix, Day Rooms are made availab.e
at West Greenwich House, 141 Greenwich High Road, S.E.10.
Charlton House, S.E.7, Ogilby Club, Calderwood Street, S.E.I8, and
Victorians Club, Sherard Road, S.E.9.
At these clubs, which are open to any elderly person from
approximately 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, they will find
warmth, comfort and companionship over a cup of tea or during
lunch. Outings and parties are also arranged for club members.
Old People's Clubs—It had been the policy of the former
Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich to make a newly established
club an initial grant of £10 to assist it to equip itself and to continue
this grant annually to enable it to improve its recreational facilities.
This policy was continued and extended by the Welfare Committee
to cover the whole of the new Borough.
There are approximately 50 Old People's Clubs in the Borough
almost all of which regularly meet on a weekly basis and arrange
their own programmes, annual outings, Christmas festivities, etc.
Although the majority of their members are active, clubs are
catering increasingly for the more isolated old person but, so far,
it has not been possible for the department to provide special
transport to assist the older, less active members to attend club
meetings.