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We have pleasure in presenting the Thirteenth Annual Report of the Southwark
Old People's Welfare Committee for the year 1963-4.
The past year brought changes in staff: in October Miss Beer left to become
Organising Secretary of the Lambeth Old People's Welfare Committee and took
with her our very best wishes. During the interim Mrs. Campbell, Workshops
Organiser, acted as Deputy Organising Secretary for nearly three months, a position
of onerous responsibility which she filled with great competence. Mrs. Dean, formerly
Welfare Officer at Newington Lodge, was appointed as Organising Secretary and
began work at St. Alban's Hall in February.
A notable feature of the past year's work is the expansion of the meals service;
three new luncheon clubs have been launched with success in areas where there
is a specific need. In addition, the number of meals served to the homebound is
ever-increasing, and our overall monthly total now exceeds 10,000.
One of the highlights of the year was the opening of our very own Holiday
Home at Bognor Regis in October. It was the culmination of several years of
intensive effort on the part of the Fund Raising Committee, but it could only have
been brought to finality by the generosity of Mr. Joseph Collier. The old people
can now book throughout the year and be sure of a welcome at their own home by
the sea.
We again thank the Borough Council for its generous help and it understanding
of our problems. The Mayor, Councillor Mrs. Clunn, J. P., has shown great interest
in our progress and we are grateful for her help. Our M.P.. Mr. Ray Gunter, and his
wife have proved staunch friends, giving us active support in all our efforts, and we
should like to thank them.
The various activities of the organisation have continued, each supported with
enthusiasm and by increasing numbers. We are happy that so many pensioners
spend their days at the centre—finding satisfaction in the companionship of others
and generally enjoying a full life. But we must remember that there are many
lonely people whom we have not yet seen, perhaps because they do not know where
to find us, or because they are homebound. A Visiting Committee under the Chairmanship
of Mrs. Gunter has been formed and this should fill a great need. It is
hoped to co-ordinate the efforts of all voluntary welfare groups by inviting them
to meet at St. Alban's Hall and plan areas to be covered by regular visitors, thus
eliminating the risk of overlapping and ensuring that no section of the Borough
will be forgotten. In this way St. Alban's Hall will fulfill its function as the centre
of welfare work for the old people of Southwark, with teams of visitors reporting
through area leaders to the Committee, whilst still retaining the individual character
of their own organisation—some of the churches have already responded to our
invitation and we hope to draw in many more. There is, however, another problem
group for whom help is urgently needed: those discharged from hospital and not
tit to fend for themselves. For them a weekly visitor is not enough—they need a
kindly person who will volunteer to stay all day if necessary, and come in for
several days, to see them through the worst hours of weakness, to raise their morale
by friendliness and encouragement—in fact. to hasten complete recovery and help
them to cope with normal life once more. With hospital beds so scarce there must
be many old people discharged while still very frail, and many who come home to
a lonely room; the doctor, the district nurse and the home help all do their share,
but there are long hours of solitariness when depression and weakness take their
toll, and for these cases we plead. In the coming year we should like to see such
a scheme organised and we need many volunteers who could be called upon in
emergencies of this kind. Thus we could more nearly achieve the fulfilment of our
aims—the care of all elderly people, whatsoever their need.