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53
Meals-onWheels
During the year under review 51,203 meals were delivered by the Association
in the Northern part of the Borough: 47,675 to people in their own
homes and 3,528 to lunch clubs. The Southern part of the Borough was
served by the Women's Voluntary Service which delivered 22,835 meals, all to
People in their own homes. Taking the Borough as a whole the largest
lumber of people served on any one day was 393, of which 48 were at lunch
clubs.
Taking just the Association's meals-on-wheels figures and comparing
them with last year, it is found that the total number of meals served and
the number of people receiving them, have both more than doubled during
the year under review. To a certain extent this is due to the fact that the
year started with the extension of deliveries from four to five days and the
addition of one round taken over from the W.V.S. However, even apart from
these additional commitments the expansion during the year has been considerable.
The year started with four vans delivering up to 166 individual
meals per day. By September the number had risen to 201, and it was
essential to purchase a fifth van. In January the figure rose to 240 and a
sixth van had to be put into operation bringing considerable relief to the
delivery staff, who despite the hazards of the weather and the excessively
high delivery figures, cheerfully carried on and never failed to do whatever
was required of them. The Association never ceases to be aware of the
extent to which the good humour, cooperation and help of its meals staff
make this service much more than the mere supply of food. It is a unique
opportunity to give daily support and encouragement to the most helpless
Members of the community, and every effort is made to fulfil this function.
It has been clear for some time that the Association's caterers will not
be able to expand their supply indefinitely. Plans are therefore in hand for a
central kitchen, but it does not appear to be likely that it will be in operation
during the next two years. In order to bridge this gap the Executive
Committee has arranged to rent a kitchen and canteen at Springfield Hall
meethodist Church, Wandsworth Road, which will come into operation from
13th May. Not only will this be a supplementary source of supply for the
meals-on-wheels service but it will enable the Association to gain experience
of catering and running a lunch club. The setting up of this unit has been
facilitated enormously by the guidance and help of the Officers and members
of the Canteen Committee of Lambeth Municipal Officers'Guild which also
agreed to allow the Association to hire the part-time services of the Guild's
excellent Manageress. The Association would like to thank all those
Whose co-operation made it possible to plan and start this new venture so
quickly and efficiently.
Chiropody
Once again it was a depressing and stagnant year for this service.
The Association's six foot clinics continued to provide 27 three hour
sessions per week and together with the 7 weekly sessions of domiciliaiy
treatment the service reached about 2,500 elderly people.