View report page

Appendix 1
HEALTH EDUCATION
Health Education in Southgate during 1951 again followed
substantially along the lines reported in previous Annual Reports.
During the year, 24 local organisations were visited, and were
supplied with either a health talk or with a combined film show
and talk.
I would like to express my gratitude to those organisations
who have accepted a speaker from the staff of the Public Health
Department, with or without films. These meetings are not only
valuable from the point of view of health education ; they allow
us to make personal contact with local burgesses, and to meet
them in a friendly atmosphere in which discussion is encouraged.
The success or failure of the public health measures adopted
in a district depend to an appreciable extent upon the goodwill of
the recipients. Unless we can make it quite apparent to all concerned
that we are friends and never enemies, that our object is
to help and not to hinder, we can scarcely expect the degree of
co-operation which is so desirable. I am fully convinced that health
education helps to break down those barriers which so often stand
between officials of the Public Health Department and their
obvious duty. This would certainly seem to be the case in Southgate,
where co-operation is generously offered.
The Council will be aware that the sound film projector now in
use was purchased in 1938. Since that time, it has been used on
several thousand occasions, and has been repaired more than
once. The projector has now passed its best; indeed, we can
scarcely look forward much longer to efficient service. The time
would seem to be fast approaching when the Council should consider
replacing this valuable means of health education. It will,
1 think, be generally agreed that the purchase of our present film
projector was a very wise move. We have had excellent service
from it; there is at present no alternative to its use. I therefore
hope that the Council will consider this matter during 1952.
May I once more express my personal gratitude to the editors
of our local newspapers for the invaluable courtesy and assistance
in the matter of periodic articles. Here again, there is no alternative
to the local newspaper as an invaluable means of disseminating
information at the right time and to a large number of
people.
39