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197
It is the Council's intention to provide a cheerful holiday and
recreational facilities for guests and, although the holiday-makers
are generally expected to be active, provision is made for frail and
handicapped old persons to be accommodated on the ground floor.
These excellent holidays provided by the Council for retirement
pensioners resident in the Borough, i.e. men aged 65 years and over
and women of 60 years or more and not in full-time employment,
are comparable with the best. Holidays commence on Friday and
bookings are for a fortnight. Parties are conveyed by escorted
coaches from the various "picking-up" points in the Borough to and
from Westgate. Less active guests are further transported by minibus
to and from their own homes and the "picking-up" points.
Every fortnight, during the period June to October, eight of our
elderly citizens, who for medical reasons require ground floor
accommodation, go to the Greenwich Hotel. Each case, which
is submitted to very careful consideration, is visited to ensure that
the term "holiday hotel" (not convalescent home) is preserved.
The new combined hotel remains open to enable "out of season"
holidays to be taken. Charges are very reasonable and, when
possible, applicants who accept an "off-season" for their initial
holiday are offered a summer booking when the opportunity for a
second holiday arises. Accommodation for the Christmas period is
reserved for persons living alone.
Holidays began on 6th March, 1970, and continued until 1st
January, 1971, and during this period 1,542 guests were accommodated
in parties averaging about 80.
Concerts and Outings, etc.
Restricted mobility renders elderly people unsuitable for whole
day outings. Selection for half day breaks is therefore based upon
up-to-date visiting data.
During the months May to September some 24 afternoon trips
were organised whereby 220 elderly homebound were enabled to
enjoy outings to the Kent countryside, local parks and open spaces.
Each party was escorted and tea was provided.
Several concerts and outings for old people were undertaken by
various voluntary organisations.
Television and Radio Sets
The Department acts as agent for certain voluntary organisations
which provide television and radio sets for lonely homebound old
persons of limited means.
Furthermore, the Department has also received a number of
television sets whch were donated by members of the public for