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71
Notes by the senior health visitors on the work at the Centres.
Bessborough Street
The re-housing of families is changing to some extent the character of this
neighbourhood. Many of our oldest families have been transferred to up-to-date
flats in the City Council's Grosvenor or Ebury Bridge Estates ; others have been
re-housed in the Westminster Housing Trust's Tachbrook Estate and in reconditioned
houses in Aylesford Street, and have therefore remained in the area covered by this
Centre. All these families show definite improvement in their standard of living.
The houses vacated, however, are often re-occupied by families from outlying
districts, the men out of work, the women young and inexperienced. These tenants
drift from one address to another, and this causes many useless or unsatisfactory
visits. Ante-natal cases, reported from hospitals, often remove, either before
confinement takes place or immediately afterwards, so that systematic advice in
the care of the expectant mother and young infant is interrupted.
The cookery classes, which were initiated during the year, have proved interesting
and instructive, especially to the young married woman who has had little or no
training in domestic science in her parents' home.
Ebury Bridge:—
Mothercraft Class.—The attendances again were in excess of those of the previous
year. The number of garments cut out and made was 1,390 compared with 1,058
of the previous year.
Infants and Toddlers were accommodated in the Nursery while their mothers
were in the Class. The attendances in the Nursery numbered 1,326.
Dental Clinic.—During 1936, 84 cases were referred to the Council's Dentist for
treatment as follows:—
16 Children.
35 Expectant Mothers.
33 Other Mothers.
Dentures have been supplied in every case where necessary. The cost has been
met by mothers when they have been able to pay, but the majority have needed
assistance and this has been partly obtained through the following organisations
Hospital Sunday Fund,
Hospital Saturday Fund,
Hyde Park Place Estate Trust,
the balance of the cost being met by the City Council. Hospital Sunday Fund
Letters have been kindly given by the following Churches:—
St. Barnabas.
St. Gabriels.
St. Mary's, Cadogan Street.
St. Michaels.
St. Peter's.
Church of the Holy Apostles.
Westminster Cathedral.
Child Life Protection.—As in former years, much of this work lay in visiting
to verify the return to the care of their parents or other relative of children