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Grants may be made under section 31 of the National Assistance Act,
1943, to voluntary associations whose activities include the provision
of recreation and meals for old people. Hitherto the Council had made
grants to individual old peoples Clubs and organisations. The Council
resolved this year to make an all embracing contribution to the Stepney
Old Peoples Welfare Association, for allocation as appropriate to the
various organisations in the Borough catering for the welfare of old
people. The contribution for the year 1961/62 amounted to over £7000.
There are 20 old people's clubs in the Borough, 17 being affiliated to
The Stepney Old People's Welfare Association.* The Council is represented
on the Association by the Chairman of the Public Health Committee
and other members of the Council and by the Medical Officer of Health,
A list of clubs and the facilities thereat will be found on page 73.
A grant of £550 was also made to the Workrooms for the Elderly,
a voluntary organisation. This is an employment scheme for elderly
persons which commenced in the Borough in 1953.
The Mental Welfare Day Hospital, opened last year at St. Clement's
Hospital, Poplar, has been of assistance to our old people and early
cases of mental deterioration have been referred there. The scheme is
in its early experimental stage but is undoubtedly of benefit to those
cases which in the past have been difficult to deal with.
The Mobile Meals Service operated by the Stepney Old People's
Welfare Association, the Women's Voluntary Service and the Beaumont Hall
Settlement stepped up its deliveries to a weekly average of 806 meals
to homebound old people. Facing this page is a photograph showing meals
being loaded in to vans, from the Womens Voluntary Sorvices' Kitchen at
Blakesley Street for delivery to homebound old people. Seven of the
Old Peoples Clubs, which include a luncheon club among their facilities,
provided an average of 633 meals each week.
A Chiropody Service with a whole-time chiropodist is provided by
the Stepney Old People's Welfare Association at clinics situated in
six of the old people's clubs in the Borough, and on an average 600
treatments were given each month, including domiciliary treatments.
On 22nd September an old people's home was opened by the London
County Council in Stepney Way, The home, called 'Braybrooke' after the
first Bishop of Stepney who died in 1404, accommodates 84 persons, mainly
in single and double rooms with a few rooms containing 4 beds.
* Hon, Secretary, The Stepney Old People's Welfare Association,
St. Katharine's, Butcher Row, Cable Street, E.14.
Voluntary visitors are urgently needed and should apply to the Secretary.
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