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The Hard of Hearing Club:
This Club, which was inaugurated in 1955, had another successful year in 1962 and
continued to be popular and useful to its members. The membership figure remained
static. There was an average weekly attendance of 35. The officers and committee have
been exceedingly busy, and the programmes continued to be educational, entertaining and
also helpful to the members in their endeavour to overcome and live with their disability.
The Welfare Officer has done much work, helping not only Group members, but
people in the Borough who required help with hearing-aids, etc.
Six members attended the Old Age Pensioners' Holiday at Dymchurch organised by
the Welfare Committee of the Middlesex and Surrey League, and the group was represented
at the National Conferences of the British Association for the Hard of Hearing.
Diabetic Club:
The Southall and District Diabetic Club, a Branch of the British Diabetic Association,
continued to function throughout 1962. This Club, formed in 1956, aims to enable diabetics,
their relatives and friends, and those interested in diabetic welfare, to meet together socially
to have more general discussions, and to hear authoritative talks from speakers who specialise
or are particularly interested in diabetes such as doctors and other health and nutrition
experts.
Membership by subscription was 65, with a Club Newsletter circulation of 118. The
attendance at monthly meetings in the Masons Room of the Holy Trinity Hall averaged 26.
The Club has a Committee of 11 members which includes two welfare officers and
organisers of various fund-raising activities in aid of the Research Fund of the British
Diabetic Association. The Club programme in 1962 included talks on health, food and
special subjects, social evenings, a coach outing to Eastbourne, as well as talks by diabetic
specialists.
The Club is a member of the North-West Metropolitan Region which consists of 7
Branches in West London, and inter-club visits are organised.
Multiple Sclerosis Society:
The West London Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society has six Southall members,
and others are attached to the new West Middlesex Branch of the same Society. The
Branches arrange social events with transport, and there is much individual help, visiting
and advice given to each member. Meetings are held at St. Paul's Hall, South Ealing, and
St. Mary's Hall, Bedfont. Swimming is arranged every Saturday at Hounslow Baths;
telephone installation and help with provision of clothing or other needs were arranged for
individual patients.
In addition, a new Branch of this Society was formed during 1961 to meet the needs of
sufferers from this disability in the Boroughs of Southall, Heston and Isleworth, Hayes and
Harlington, and Uxbridge. It was named the West Middlesex Branch. The work undertaken
by this Society includes the visiting of disabled members in their homes, the organisation
of social meetings with provision of transport for members, the provision of financial
help for holidays, telephone installation, clothing or other needs.
Spas tics Welfare Society:
The Central Middlesex Spastics Welfare Society does much work for spastics in an area
which includes Southall, and which at the present time has a number of sufferers from this
affliction who live in Southall under its care. The Society is very active in making charitable
appeals to benefit its work at its Works Centre, South Ruislip, where 30 young men and
women are employed on sub-contract work for local firms doing light engineering, printing,
and other light work; other activities include a Social Club held once a month at Perivale.
Home-work for the homebound spastics, a day by the sea in the summer, and in special
circumstances help with holidays or other welfare needs may be arranged by the Spastics
Society.
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