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125
SECTION V
WELFARE SERVICES
State welfare has evolved from piecemeal philanthropy built up
over generations and originally the prerogative of the churches and
other charitable bodies. By the very nature of the previous organisations,
gaps in services were bound to occur but, since the community
undertook to shoulder the burden of providing a welfare
structure, an assumption that no longer would there be breaks in the
services has proved erronous.
It has always been a function of voluntary and charitable
organisations to show the need for a certain welfare service or
facility and for the government or a local authority finally to accept
responsibility if public expenditure was considered justified. Many
aspects of welfare which enabled people to express generosity of
spirit in a very practical way have been adopted by the state and,
although this action was inevitable, a great deal of goodwill was thereby
lost. However, much of this natural generosity remains pent-up
waiting to be 'tapped' by some enterprising public ventures. Such a
harnessing of benevolence, unfortunately, is not without its drawbacks.
Moves to establish associations for special causes such as
spasticity, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, epilepsy, etc., were in the 'van'
of a flood of appeals most of which, by reason of novelty, met with
such resounding success and public support that they became
nationally viable organisations with highly trained staffs. Later
arrivals on the scene tend to be less fortunate. With so many charities
already founded they discover that even if sufficient funds are
raised for initial establishment of a project, heavy costs of providing
for continuous operation prove too onerous and supporters quickly
lose heart.
The dilemma is that it is easier to find support for a new scheme
than for maintaining one already in existence. For example, recent
advances in medicine and surgery have stimulated enthusiasm in the
lay world and trusts and charities are often persuaded to grant funds
to provide special hospital units. Such units are rightly the responsibility
of the hospital authorities which would doubtless have been
happy to have these facilities under their jurisdiction but the money
has just not been available. Moreover, running costs of such units
tend to be high and hospital resources are bespoken for years ahead.
Gifts of such a nature, although well intentioned, become an embarrassment
to donors and recipients alike and the charity or trust
may be induced to over-extend itself financially for a number of
years or to abandon the project completely. Often hospitals are
constrained, seemingly ungraciously, to reject a scheme which, at