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93
Miss Woolgar, Secretary of the Walthamstow and Chingford
Association of Tuberculosis Care Helpers, reports as follows:—
" The work of the Association has continued on much
the same lines as in previous years. Vouchers for milk and
grocery have been issued where necessary, fares to visit
patients have been paid, materials for occupational therapy
have been provided and many small grants made to assist
patients with personal difficulties.
"A new departure during the year was the granting of
financial help to enable a patient to take advantage of the
Ministry's scheme to send suitable cases to Switzerland. This
help was necessary as although cost of treatment and travel
is met by the Ministry of Health, a great deal of incidental
expense falls on the patient unless assistance is available
from some charitable source.
"For the first time also, the Association was able to send
its Secretary as delegate to the Commonwealth and Empire
Health and Tuberculosis Conference and to receive a firsthand
report on the proceedings.
"Towards the end of the year our financial position
became very difficult, owing to the non-arrival of the Sunday
Cinema Fund grant, normally received in July, and for the
first time in many years, it was necessary to suspend almost
all the assistance being given to patients or their families.
Local efforts to raise funds, and donations from charitable
sources restored the position sufficiently for grants to be
resumed on a restricted scale in December and before the
end of the year, the payment of the Sunday Cinema Fund
Grant, together with the most successful Christmas Seal Sale
ever recorded in the district, put our finances into a very
healthy state to face the New Year.
"Material assistance was given as follows:—
Milk Vouchers to 54 cases
Grocery Vouchers to 28
Fuel 7 „
Fares 8
Clothing 8 „
Holidays 2
Occupational Therapy 25
Minor Grants 18 „
"Many other patients or their relatives were helped with
advice or by reference to organisations more suited to their
particular needs. A close liaison is now firmly established
with all such bodies, to our mutual advantage and that of
the patients."