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9
"St. Marylebone is not large, but it has an unusually high proportion of ' elderly persons ' among
its citizens. At the time of the 1951 census the percentage was 17.7 per cent., the third highest of all
the London Boroughs. They do not all need our service, but through our 100 voluntary workers, all
very busy people, we do try to help the old people who come to our notice. Imperfect as our
'coverage' still is, we are the only channel of communication with old people comparable to the
network of schools for children, and the Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics for mothers and babies.
For this reason, we were asked for help in their Home Safety Campaign by the L.C.C. in the Autumn,
and by the St. Marylebone Road Safety Committee, on whose behalf we distributed hundreds of pension
book wallets with the Safety Slogans on them. We have also supplied to the North Thames Gas Board
as comprehensive lists as we could prepare of all the over-eighties in the Borough with gas appliances.
These people have all been visited by the Board's officers and their appliances inspected as part of
the Board's effort to avert dangers. We have been instrumental in having both gas and electricity
meters moved to safe positions.
Meals on Wheels.
This service now operates from the new premises of the W.V.S. Luncheon Club in Seymour Place,
which are conveniently near the staff canteen of Messrs. Spencer Turner & Boldero in Lisson Grove,
where the meals are prepared. Their chef takes a genuine interest in the work and his meals are both
excellent and varied. It has been possible to maintain the charge to the old people at only lOd. owing
to the welcome increase of 2d. a meal in the L.C.C. subsidy.
The insulated containers in which the hot dishes are transported had to be replaced during the year,
and the Association is deeply grateful to the generous anonymous donors who defrayed the cost.
The Mayor very kindly supplied " Frood " Christmas Dinners which the W.V.S. took to all the old
people on the " Meals on Wheels " list. This service operates five days a week, and the W.V.S. deliver
over 500 meals a month.
W.V.S. Luncheon Clu .
Our Association is now more intimately concerned with this club, because when it had to move
from its former home in November (owing to the transfer of the W.V.S. Centre to smaller
accommodation in St. John's Wood Terrace) we made ourselves responsible for the running costs
as well as for the supply of the meals. The new club room was offered by the Church Army at a purely
nominal rent, and we are deeply grateful for their generous collaboration. The Borough Council
have increased our annual grant accordingly. The Luncheon Club has nearly doubled its membership
since the move, and now serves over 600 lunches a month.
Chiropody.
The Foot Clinic holds nine sessions a week and has a long waiting list. It cannot expand further
in the present quarters and it is becoming increasingly clear that our next development must be a
second clinic somewhere else in the Borough. We are deeply indebted to the members of the British
Red Cross Society, St. Marylebone Division, and to the three chiropodists for this invaluable service.
Apart from the contribution to the health of the old people, this service brings us into touch with
many old folk whom we should not otherwise know.
The number of treatments for the year was 2,350, and 52 new patients were admitted. The fee
remained at Is. 6d.
The Home Service also has a long waiting list. It operates once a week, and our chiropodists, who
are supposed to do ten visits a day, frequently now do 12 or more. The British Red Cross provide a
car and a driver three times a month. In the fourth week our chiropodist uses her own car for which
she only accepts the actual cost of the petrol. This gesture also applies to the Red Cross driver, and
we do thank them both for their grand help for our chiropody service.
During the year, 537 treatments were given. There were 39 new patients (8 men and 31 women).
Four treatments were given free, and nine at a reduced fee. For the remainder, the patients paid 2s.
and 18 of them voluntarily paid extra.
There are about 182 old people on our books, some of whom attend the Foot Clinic in the summer
months, but have the Home Service in the winter.
Clubs.
All seven of our affiliated Darby and Joan Clubs had a flourishing year. The W.V.S. Tuesday Club
had to leave its premises in Cleveland Street when Trinity Church Hall was sold, but found an attractive
new club room at the St. Marylebone Youth Centre in Paddington Street.