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Holidays for Old People. The holiday scheme for old people of the Borough
operated during the Spring and Autumn of 1954; all the detailed arrangements
being made by the General Secretary of the Woolwich Council of Social Service.
During this period 110 elderly persons were able to have a holiday. The number
of old people who went away during the month of May was 89, and a further 21
had a holiday in September. Seventy-six of the old people stayed at a private
Guest House at Westgate, 32 at a private Guest House at Westbrook and the
remaining two at a private Guest House at Bexhill. The parties were transported
to and from the holiday resorts by coaches. Several fresh applications were
received during the year for holidays. A number of names originally on the
application list were withdrawn for one reason or another and, in fact, everyone
who was on the reserve list actually went away.
The Council of Social Service are reviewing the procedure for administering
the holiday scheme in the light of experience gained in the past two years. In.
view of the large number of applications received holidays of only a week's duration
were arranged during the year. It was also decided not to consider applications
received from people who had had a holiday under the scheme the previous
Autumn. The Old People's Welfare Committee assesses each application on its
merits and a sliding scale of payment has been introduced and, except where it is
not reasonably possible to do so, each old person pays between 15s. and 30s.
towards the cost of a week's holiday. Several of the old people have paid by
means of weekly instalments but others have preferred to pay in a lump sum.
A medical certificate is produced by each applicant a week before going away.
Lunch Clubs. The Eltham and Plumstead Lunch Clubs functioned throughout
the year. Meals for the Plumstead Lunch Club were supplied from the Borough
Council's Restaurant at the Plumstead Baths, and until the end of the year the
Eltham Lunch Club was supplied by the County Council's Eltham High Street
Restaurant.
The Borough Council continue to make a substantial grant to the Woolwich
Council of Social Service for the cost of the Woolwich and Eltham Lunch Clubs.
Mobile Meals Service. A detailed report submitted by the Old People's
Welfare Committee as to the possibility of introducing a mobile meals service for
old people in the Borough was considered by the Council during the year. Enquiries
as to the essential need for such a service were made by officers of the Council of
Social Service from clubs, churches and other organisations. It was found,
however, that while there may be a demand for such a service, the cases where no
other arrangements were possible were few and did not justify further action
being taken.
Home Visitation. During 1954 the system of friendly visits to elderly persons
throughout the Borough has continued. Some 30 visitors from the Woolwich
Council of Social Service maintained contact with elderly persons; between 50 and
60 visits being made each week. Visitors undertake shopping, the changing of
library books, the carrying of coals, the writing of letters, and minor household
repairs, and are particularly concerned to see to the safety of old people on the
roads and in their own homes.
During the year the Borough Council again made a grant of £250 towards
the cost of the visiting services being undertaken by the Old People's Welfare
Committee, including the payment of a part-time organiser for that purpose.
On behalf of the Old People's Welfare Committee an experiment was undertaken
during the year by members of the local Civil Defence Association, who, in
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