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58
Number of children dealt with over 5 years of age: boys, 58;
girls, 42.
Number of children under 5 years of age, 62.
193 supervisory visits were made during the year, and 93
miscellaneous visits were made.
(c) Central Boot Fund Committee.— The Honorary Secretary,
Mr. A. J. Blackhall, has very kindly sent the following account of
the work of the Boot Fund during 1938:—
"The distribution of footwear for the year ended 31st December,
1938, was higher than for the previous year, 1,166 pairs being
distributed at a cost of approximately £350."
(d) Miss S. C. Turner, of the Mental Welfare Section of the
Clerk to the Essex County Council's Department (formerly the
Essex Voluntary Association for Mental Welfare), kindly contributes
the following report on work in Walthamstow:—
"Occupation and Training Centre.—The Settlement, Greenleaf
Road. Supervisor: Miss Barbara Drury. This centre provides
training and occupation for defective children excluded from school
and older girls who are unemployable. Attendance is voluntary,
yet the number on the register continues to increase, and is now 34;
the average daily attendance rises proportionately.
"The object of the centre is to fit each child as far as possible
to live usefully in the community, and to prevent behaviour
problems arising from repeated failures in every-day tasks and lack
of adequate self-expression. Work at the Centre is carefully graded
so that in sense training, handwork and domestic training steady
progress is easily made.
"The quickened public interest in 'keep fit' is reflected in the
Centre, where keep fit costumes have been supplied for the older
girls and increased attention is given to physical training. Much
progress has already been made and it is expected that considerable
improvement in posture and movement will be noticeable next year.
"Children are brought to the Centre daily by guides, and a
mid-day meal is supplied to the children at a cost of 1s. per head
per week.
"The most pleasing feature of the progress during the year
and the increased confidence in the Centre is the number of younger
children who have been admitted and who are thus given a greater
opportunity to benefit from the training.