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The Mayor, Councillor A.E. White accompanied by the Mayoress, Mrs. G.L. White,
with some of the children at the Christmas Open Day at Rosemary Junior Training
School after accepting the gift of a climbing frame generously presented to the
school by the Court of Scarlet Cedar of the Independent Order of Foresters and toys
bought from money collected by customers of George IV Public House, Goswell Road, E.C.I.
Bennett Court and Camden Road Senior Training Centres
These two centres concentrated on social training. Independence was encouraged and a
large number of trainees made their own way to and from the centres by public transport.
In May the then Archway Training Centre moved to adapted premises, a former community
centre on the Bennett Court Estate, Axminster Road, N.7, where it is able to cater for 60
trainees, both men and women. It took its new name and was officially opened by His Worship
the Mayor of Islington during Mental Health Week. From the start the residents on this
estate were most friendly and helpful and many near neighbours accepted invitations to the
centre's first Open Day and came in with their young families to meet the trainees and see
the type of work they were carrying out.
Bennett Court Centre had a flexible da ily programme under the direction of the
supervisor and his four assistants, training being geared to individual needs so that each
trainee might be helped to reach his or her full potential, to be less of a burden to parents
and to make some contribution to the community. Light assembly work, some of a very
intricate type, and carpentry were the most popular activities, though a variety of other
craft work is undertaken. There is a well equipped small laundry and an attractive modern
kitchen designed to develop domestic skills amongst male as well as female trainees. In
addition there is a school-room where small groups of trainees gathered regularly for
further education classes of a practical nature. Selected trainees were able to test acquired
skills by going shopping, telephoning and paying visits by public transport to places of
interest.
The Camden Road Centre also had a varied programme and the Centres were closely linked,
the trainees mixing freely in the evenings at Gateway Clubs run by the Islington Society for
Mentally Handicapped Children.
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