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9
St. Marylebone Old People's Welfare Association.
The Executive Committee of the Association (Chairman—Mrs. L. Fewster; Hon. Secretary—Miss
M. K. C. Macintosh, Room 103, Town Hall, St. Marylebone, W.1) has kindly provided the following
information, which has been extracted from the Association's Annual Report, on work carried out
during 1957:—
"One of the happiest features of our work is the close link which exists in the Borough between
the statutory authorities and the voluntary workers. Our contacts ' at officer level' with the
National Assistance Board, the Home Helps Service and the Public Health Department of the
Borough Council could not be closer or more cordial. We have had three gratifying instances of
this. The Area Officer of the National Assistance Board has visited all our Darby and Joan Clubs,
and his informal talks on the work of the Board have done much to dispel some of the reluctance to
apply even for much-needed help which still lingers from the old Poor Law days. He also gave up
an evening to attend a meeting of the Visitors for Old People connected with All Souls', Langham
Place, which have a very active group. His talk was enjoyed immensely.
In the autumn we helped the L.C.C. in their 'Safety in the Home' campaign, and they in turn
helped us with one of our most urgent problems, namely, giving us more facilities for our foot clinic
service. This service had such a large waiting list that the list had to be closed for three months.
Then in October the L.C.C. offered places, as vacancies occurred, at the Foot Clinic at the Maternity
and Child Welfare Clinic, Lisson Grove, to Old People on our waiting list who had been visited by
one of the L.C.C. Health Visitors. By the end of the year, the list had been reduced from 39 to 19
awaiting treatment, some of whom we have been able to admit since.
Public Library Service.—With the kind co-operation of the Borough Librarian, a service for the
delivery of books to the house-bound has been instituted, with the help of the Home Helps Service.
Over 20 Old People are now being helped in this way.
Our own direct contacts with Old People are through the eight Darby and Joan Clubs, the two
Jewish Friendship Clubs, the Home Chiropody Service, the Luncheon Club, the Foot Clinic, the
' Meals on Wheels' service and the Assisted Holidays. To these should be added about 200 Old
People who are house-bound visited by our own Visiting Service and the three Church Groups who
work in conjunction with us. We can, if need be, reach many more through the Home Helps and
the National Assistance Board, and the Borough Council's Home Bathing Service. There is also
a constantly increasing number of those we know through their requests for invitations to treats.
Entertainments.—There have been three special occasions this year. In June 100 Old People
from St. Marylebone were invited to the special Evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral, organised by
the Finsbury Old People's Welfare Committee. Over 2,000 Old People were there, and it was a
most moving and impressive occasion.
In July there were again two special Old People's Days at Lord's by the very kind permission
of the M.C.C.
The highlight of the year, however, was a truly wonderful Christmas Party given at the Seymour
Hall by Mrs. Lew Grade, who invited 200 Old People from Paddington, 50 from Westminster, and
550 from St. Marylebone. We were delighted to be able to help by collecting the guests and providing
stewards.
Mrs. Lew Grade herself arranged what one of the guests described as 'a real Buckingham Palace
tea' and a variety entertainment which culminated in the personal appearance of no less an artiste
than Miss Gracie Fields.
The numbers of Old People helped by our various grant-aided services are given below. The
contribution which we, as an Association, believe we can make to the happiness of our Old People
is based on the steady ' continuance in well-doing' of all our members.
Very little of what we do is difficult, but it still needs time regularly given, patience, and a sense
of humour, allied to deep compassion and sympathy. St. Marylebone is fortunate in having so many
people willing to give that time, and if the Association helps by providing them with a forum and
a focus, its Officers are well content.
The Services
Meals on Wheels.—During the year, 6,216 meals were delivered, including the special 'Frood'
Christmas Dinners so kindly paid for by our President, the Mayor, and taken round by the W.V.S.
on Christmas Eve. A new set of insulated containers for the dishes was bought with the help of
an anonymous donation. This service lost a valuable helper through the death of Mr. Charles