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and the co-ordination of services provided by the various statutory
authorities for the welfare of old people; duties which were formerly
carried out by a Public Health Inspector on the City Council's staff.
The welfare worker commenced duty in February, 1958, and the Council
reimburses the Association annually the salary and expenses of the
appointment, with the consent of the Minister of Housing and Local
Government, under Section 136 of the Local Government Act, 1948.
During 1959, the Association published a handbook setting out details
of the services available in the City for old people, and other information
likely to be of interest to pensioners.
British Red Cross Society—Mobile Meals Service
Notwithstanding the difficulties which beset the meals service in
January, 1959, the Westminster Division of the British Red Cross
Society continued the service which it established in the City in 1946,
for the delivery of hot mid-day meals to aged people who are themselves
unable to prepare meals at home.
On Friday, 2nd January, 1959, the two vans which are provided
by the City Council and loaned to the Society for delivering the meals,
were parked outside St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School waiting to
be loaded when a large lorry collided with both vans, damaging them
beyond repair. Even more unfortunately, one of the British Red Cross
Society drivers was standing at the rear of one of the vans and sustained
serious injuries, necessitating hospital treatment for many months.
To avoid any breakdown in the service, the City Council's Director
of Public Cleansing immediately despatched two vans to take over the
delivery of the meals; and it is a tribute to all concerned that not a
single meal remained undelivered on that day, although a few were a
little delayed in arriving at their destinations. So far as the injured
driver is concerned, she is making a steady recovery; and at the time
of preparing this Report (15 months after the accident) is walking with
the aid of two sticks and a caliper on the right leg.
In order that the meals service should not be dislocated for a longer
period than necessary, the City Council authorised the immediate
purchase of two new vans at a net cost of £1,056 after credit had been
allowed for an amount received from the insurers in respect of the
damaged vans. The new vans were specially adapted and painted and
are loaned to the Society on condition that they will be transferred to
the Council should they cease to be used for the service. The City
Council also makes a grant to the Society of 75 per cent. of the running
costs of the vans.
In June, 1959, in an endeavour to provide more balanced and nourishing
meals for the old people, the British Red Cross Society asked to be
allowed to increase the price paid to the caterers from 1s. 6d. to 1s. 10d.
per meal. It was decided that the price to the old person should remain