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The exceptionally hard winter has taxed the resources of the
Committee to the utmost. It led to the discovery of many old people
without heating of any description. Many who relied entirely on the
trolley-man each week for their supply of coal did not get any for
weeks. During this bad spell it was not unusual to find our small
meals-on-wheels van side by side with large coal carts and lorries
at the railway sidings waiting for coal to arrive. We were given
V.I.P. treatment and always served first. The coal was tipped into
the van and the staff and helpers went round to the homes of the old
people in need and shovelled the coal into scuttles, boxes and any
available utensil. Then back to St. Alban's Hall where the van had
to be cleaned out for the delivery of meals. On one occasion we
travelled as far as Bromley for a five cwt. load.
Added to the problem of coal was the problem of water. Everyone
had frozen pipes and the only cup of tea enjoyed was had at
St. Alban's Hall. To make their plight worse many could not reach
the centre because of the conditions of the road, so many more had
to have their dinners at home. The Meals-on-Wheels van had to cope
with many more deliveries, as well as bad road conditions, and the
vans usually back at 1.30 p.m. were still delivering at 4 p.m. A
telephone call to the secretary one day was from an infuriated man
who demanded that she should call in her van. "I have helped to
dig it out three times and I am not going to do it again", he said.
Visiting
An average of 40 visits are made each week but most of these
are to old people who have met with some calamity or are in need
of some special service which we can render. There are many old
people who are just lonely and although we try to visit as many
of these as possible, we can only visit every two or three weeks.
We need many more volunteers for this service. It has been said
"Half the world stands willing to help and not knowing how" If
you are one of those drop into St. Alban's Hall and we will help
you to direct those odd moments of spare time, those little bits
of kindness, those small pieces of generosity which you are ready
to give.
The Chiropody Clinic
The demand for chiropody is still increasing and our hardpressed
chiropodists are fighting a losing battle with the demands
made upon them. This is a satisfying service because after treatment
in their homes we have the joy of seeing many of the hitherto
homebound, walking to the centre. We have recently acquired a pedaloperated
chiropody chair which makes life much easier for the chiropodist
and much better for the patient.