View report page

-64-
signs of deterioration of health, and the necessary information would be passed on
to the Health Authorities in good time.
Another reason for regular visiting is the fact that many old people have outlived
their families and are entirely alone in the world, and if it were not for the
visitor from some organisation, they would never sec a new face for months on end.
At St. Alban's Hall we are greatly in need of two kinds of Visitors: those prepared
to visit an old person or persons regularly and, therefore, willing to join our 'Visiting
Committee', and those prepared to give some hours weekly, who could be trained
to do 'Case Work' and help deal with the emergency calls for help which are a daily
occurrence at the Centre.
Let all who read this report accept the challenge of the problem of 'Old Age',
for they in turn will be old one day. Let them be prepared to take their part in
helping to share the arduous task of those endeavouring to make a better world
for the Old Folk of Southwark.
FLAG DAY
Flag Day was held on Saturday, 7th September, and during that week boxes
were sent out to churches, doctors, hospitals and shops who had responded to our
appeal. We are grateful to them all for their help and also to Mr. Farmer and the
Town Hall staff, to Kennington Rotary, Toe H and Civil Defence. On Flag Day
depots were set up in East Street and Westmoreland Road, and many volunteers
helped in the street collection. As a result of this concerted effort the considerable
total of £203 19s. 8d. was reached.
TELEVISION FOR THE HOMEBOUND
It is difficult for the normally active to envisage the full implication of life literally
within four walls. There is the frustration of spiritual as well as physical imprisonment
which leads to stagnation and apathy because there is no possibility of escape
and existence seems futile. For some of the homebound books and radio are the
panacea of loneliness; some are fortunate in having regular visits from neighbours
and relatives; but how many are entirely alone in the world—many more than one
imagines—and for whom radio is a remote voice, impersonal because unseen ? to
them live pictures would give so much pleasure—they could relive their experiences
watching street scenes in familiar sittings and glimpse across the screen famous
personalities of the day and characters of history who might otherwise remain just
vague names. A coronation, a royal wedding, a military procession. Remembrance
Day in the Albert Hall—they would see it all and feel again part of the living
world—no longer put aside because of infirmity.
Such enjoyment can be within the reach of the homebound through the good
offices of British Relay Wireless who are prepared to install sets free, with a token
charge of 2/6d. per week for maintenance. Thus for the total sum of £10 10s. Od.
per annum including the licence we could supply a set and we appeal to friends
to whom activity is a normal way of life to act as sponsors to a homebound person,
and bring a measure of happiness into the life of one who has so little,
HOLIDAYS
In May last year a party of 170 old people spent a fortnight at Bognor Regis
and another party of 92 went in September. These holidays were both subsidised
by the Borough Council, the old people contributing rather more than half the
cost unless they qualified for the special scheme by which they made a token payment
of £1 and the balance came from the Mayor's Fund. In September also a
group of 40 old people spent a week at Llandudno: this holiday was organised at