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6
make arrangements to provide lunch either on the day the club meets or
another day. To this end the Lewisham Old People's Welfare Association
is prepared to cooperate by conveying the meals in bulk from the central
kitchen, where they are obtained, to the luncheon club.
It is also hoped that some of the old people's organisations will be
able to initiate and develop handicraft classes for members as a possible
alternative to paid employment, such as is being done in some cases
quite successfully in a few of the inner London boroughs. These latter
boroughs have advantages of proximity of work, ease of transport and so
on, which a borough such as this would not have, and the alternative of
handicraft classes might have the same advantages locally without some
of the disadvantages. At these handicraft classes, where there is sewing,
basketwork, simple carpentry and so on, articles can be made either for
home use, or for sale on behalf of the club, or for general sale if good
enough. The Lewisham Darby and Joan Club has such handicraft
classes and one or two attempts at sewing classes or make-do-and-mend
affairs have been made by one or other of the grant-aided clubs, but I
would very much like to see this side of club activities developed. The
committee would willingly consider increasing the grant to any particular
club which could show that through developing a handicraft class its
expenses had been increased.
The health department during the year continued to take a detailed
interest in the work for old people generally and remained in the closest
touch with the Lewisham Old People's Welfare Associrtion (LOPWA),
which Association has offices in the department. LOPWA is, so far as the
borough council's work for old people's welfare is concerned the main
body in the area and has affiliated to it the various other bodies to
which the Council makes grant. LOPWA is responsible for the meals-onwheels
service to housebound old people.
Visiting of old people—from 1 April, 1957
A woman health officer (a trained nurse with special experience)
was appointed in the early part of the year for work on behalf of old
people and also in connection with infectious disease. At the same time
the two existing infectious disease visitors devoted part of their time
to visiting old people. In fact, therefore, three nurses (now called
Women Health Officers) are concerned with old people and with
infectious disease.