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should be made available even now wherever practicable, and certainly
when any new public lavatories are provided.
Although what has been stated is mainly in connection with food
and food diseases, there are of course other reasons— assthetic as well
as health— why free washing facilities should be available. The ideal
to be aimed at is to get every member of the public to wash their hands
automatically after defaecation (and, one hopes, urination), and if the
facilities are not readily available in public conveniences or elsewhere,
this objective stands no chance of being attained.
This matter was again brought before the appropriate committee
early in 1950.
Old people
In my last report I stated that it was estimated that the number of
old people (men 65 and over, women 60 and over) in Lewisham was
some 31,000 then and would rise to about 48,000 in 40 years' time.
I also stated that in 1947 the Lewisham Old People's Welfare Council
had been formed and included representatives of most of the agencies
in the borough interested in the care of old people. A grant had been
made by the Borough Council to the Lewisham Old People's Welfare
Council in order to allow them to continue their Meals on Wheels
service, and during the year 1949 further consideration was given to
claims from that Council and from other agencies in the borough.
A sum of £1,000 had been included in the estimates for the year
1949/50 for help to old people and in the summer it was decided to
review in a preliminary way the work of the various agencies in order to
see the best way in which any grant might be allocated. Already £300
of the sum had been earmarked for the Lewisham Old People's Welfare
Council, bearing particularly their Meals on Wheels service in mind.
Accordingly an advertisement was inserted in the local papers at the
beginning of July asking for voluntary organisations to contact me
setting out very briefly the type of work they were doing and the name
and address of the secretary. As a result information was obtained with
regard to 17 voluntary organisations, of which a group of 10 were under
the control of the Women's Voluntary Services.
As it was not possible at that stage to make an exact assessment
of the differences between the various clubs and organisations, nor,
without detailed enquiry, to find out the degree of their need, it was
decided to make a nominal grant of £24 to each of the smaller clubs, a
further grant of £168 to the Lewisham Old People's Welfare Council
and a grant of £72 to the Lewisham Darby and Joan Club, subject
to the following provisos:—
1. The organisation to submit its accounts annually.
2. The medical officer of health or his representative to have the
right to inspect the premises.
3. Any grant made to be reviewed annually in the light of any
proposals for developing the service.