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39
accommodation, I view this prospect with optimism and
feel confident that such an arrangement will provide a
service that will meet the needs of the aged in future
years.
MEALS ON WHEELS.
The Meals on Wheels service which covers the whole of
the Borough of Ealing has continued its useful work. The
total number of hot meals supplied by the British Red
Cross Society and Women's Voluntary Service during the
year was 24,417.
The British Red Cross Society provided meals two to
five times weekly in the Ealing and Hanwell area. Approximately
79 old people were given meals each week and the
total number of meals supplied was 15,100.
The rest of the Borough, namely, Greenford, Perivale
and Northolt, was supplied by the Women's Voluntary
Service. The number receiving two meals a week was
approximately 80 and the total number of meals provided
during the year was 9,317.
Both the British Red Cross Society and Women's Voluntary
Service cook their meals centrally in their respective
kitchens. The cooked meals are then transferred to charcoal
heated containers which are delivered by van. It will be
appreciated that in a large Borough like Ealing, where
the distances involved are great, that considerable effort
is required to ensure that meals are hot on delivery.
Notwithstanding this difficulty hot meals of a high
standard are provided.
In addition to the domiciliary service they provide,
the British Red Cross Society and the Women's Voluntary
Service have co-operated to provide twenty meals a day on
week-days for the Day Treatment Centre since it opened in
June. The manner in which these two organisations have
co-operated and adapted their service to meet this increased
need is most gratifying.
OLD PEOPLE'S WORK CENTRES.
The beneficial work of the Borough's two Work Centres,
organised by the Ealing Committee for the Employment and
Recreation of Elderly Citizens continued in 1961. The
West Ealing Centre which is in the Drill Hall, has 60
workers when at full capacity, and the Greenford Centre
which is at Ravenor Park Pavilion has 28 workers when at
full capacity. As in all Centres one of the biggest