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There was a good attendance of parents at the Open Day at the school held
on 9th June. The children gave a display, and the handicraft work carried out by
the children during the year was on exhibition. His Worship the Mayor, Chairma-n
and Vice-Chairman of the Health Committee, the Medical Officer of Health and
senior officers of the department, attended. The Chairman and other executive
members of the Enfield Society for Mentally Handicapped Children were also
present.
Play Centre
Again this year, part of the Junior Training School was made available to the
Enfield Society for Mentally Handicapped Children for use as a play centre for
four weeks during the month of August, on every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The average daily attendance was 20. The Society provided some ten voluntary
workers each day to supervise the children. The Council provided mid-day
meals. His Worship the Mayor, the Chairman of the Health Committee and representatives
of voluntary bodies visited the play centre and commented favourably
on the work being done and the happy atmosphere that prevailed. The project
proved to be most useful and several parents were thus provided with relief from
the constant care of their children, for a number of hours each day. The amenity
was of particular benefit to the parents of children with multiple handicaps, since
they can make heavy demands on the family during the long summer vacation.
Once again I should like to take this opportunity of thanking the Society for
the most valuable work they have continued to undertake on behalf of the subnormal
children. Their enterprise is greatly appreciated.
Adult Training Centre
The Edmonton Adult Training Centre at Claverings Industrial Estate continues
to provide several training programmes in a most enthusiastic and imaginative
manner. Run on lines similar to an ordinary factory, it has accommodation for
165 trainees over the age of 16 years, who are paid a weekly allowance. A proportion
of places are reserved for trainees from the London Boroughs of Barnet and
Haringey.
The aim of this purpose-built centre is to train mentally subnormal persons
to become as independent as their comprehension allows, and to assist them to lead
as full a life as is possible. Some trainees are engaged on assembly work sent to
the centre by local firms while others work in the fully equipped laundry section.
The latter handles approximately 8,000 to 9,000 articles of clothing and linen each
week collected from over 100 different establishments in and around Enfield. The
Council's laundry service for incontinent persons is an important part of the work
of the laundry.
Formal education received a setback when the Education Department was
unable to replace the visiting teacher who retired early in the year.
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