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21
SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES.
The Borough Council has continued to provide for the old people, every
amenity which the law allows it to provide directly. The other non-statutory
facilities were still provided chiefly by the Joint Welfare Committee of whom
one half (and the Chairman this year) were elected by and from the Borough
Council. A newly-formed charitable body, created by this year's Mayor (Mr.
Councillor Tallantire) and named the "Shoreditch Association" began to collect
funds for both old-and young-people's causes in the Borou^i. It is hoped that
in future years this Association may be able to supplement some of the
additional amenities hitherto coming almost exclusively from the Joint Welfare
Fund. Its first Annual Carnival week gave at least a psychological uplift to
both old and young residents.
The visiting of old people by Council staff progressed apace so that
every known pensioner was visited at least once and those in difficulty many
more times, to a total of more than 4,000 visits.
The Council's Old People's Clubs, consisting as before of 3 full-time and
4 part-time clubs, continued to be just as popular as before, and we hope that
during the coming year the Bell Club will be accommodated in bright new premises,
so that we hope for a further increase of its membership in the future. The
weekly concert for enfeebled pensioners by professional entertainers at the
Hoxton Club continued to have full houses despite the opening of a rival club
once weekly in the same road by the National Federation of Old Age Pensioners'
Association. The handicrafts classes at the various clubs again earned nearly
£100 at their Christmas sale of work as well as providing from Haggerston Clubs
more than 100 soft toys for the Children's Wards at Mile End Hospital.
The Council's Holiday and Rest Home in Sussex has again given its good
country air and food to well over 800 visitors from both Shoreditch and (through
Local Health Authorities) from the whole area covered by King Edward's Hospital
Fund, the majority remaining for 2 weeks and some for a longer period. The
usual 45 or so old people had also two weeks there at Christmas.
The Meals on Wheels service has been maintained as before by the W.V.S. and
the Salvation Army, each supplying one half of the Borough, and financed by the
Borough Council. Meals were also supplied to members of the three full-time old
people's clubs run by the Council, and the charges remained at lOd for the old
people; but unfortunately owing to increased cost, the Borough Council had to
implement their quota by 4d and later 6d a meal for the 100 meals supplied daily.
St. Matthew's Hospital continued their laundry facilities at a nominal charge,
the Lion Boys' Club continued free shoe repairs, the free distribution of
furniture, wheelchairs, blankets, mattresses, coal, etc. from this department,
chiropody, library books, radio, etc. to homebound and other services formed a
comprehensive contribution to the old folks' comfort.
The financial and moral help of King Edward's Hospital Fund for the Holiday
Home, the financial help towards our full-time visitor by "the City of London &
East London Dispensary, the services rendered by St. Matthew's Hospital, L.C.C.
Home Helps, District Nursing Association and many other bodies, made a great
difference to the old people's comfort.