View report page

WELFARE
General
St. John Ambulance Association:
The local headquarters of the St. John Ambulance Association are situated at Harrington
Road, Southall. There are 21 Nursing Members, 4 Officers, 2 N.C.O.'s (Nursing) and
9 Auxiliary Members.
The work carried out is as follows:—
Home Nursing and Nursing Equipment. The St. John Ambulance Nursing Division
has been trained in Home Nursing and First Aid to the Injured. It also lends
nursing equipment for use in the home from the Medical Comforts Depot in
Hartington Road, open every evening (except Saturdays, Sundays and Bank
Holidays) from 7.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. for the issue of articles needed by the
public. During the year 267 articles were lent under the scheme—the 1962
figure was 292. Ten members belong to the National Hospital Service Reserve.
Welfare—General. The St. John Ambulance Brigade carried out trainings in First
Aid and Home Nursing for all who cared to take advantage of the service,
also special courses for Civil Defence volunteers and for Scouts and Guides.
The members of the Nursing and Ambulance Divisions carried out many
other duties including attendance at local cinemas, sports, fairs, Old Folks'
Clubs, accompanying old people's group excursions to the seaside, hospital
duties, also sick visiting. Members also took part in duties further afield,
including London Airport, London theatres, concerts, etc. The amount of
voluntary time given to this good work is considerable. During 1963, 1,128
hours were spent on public duties, 242 on miscellaneous duties, 229 on duty
at Old Peoples' Clubs and 133 on duty in Hospital Wards.
British Red Cross Society:
Membership of the Southall Division of the British Red Cross Society increased in
1963 to 347, mainly due to the large number of cadets, and link members who can join from
the age of eight years.
The older girls help in hospitals each week and have started to visit the deaf-blind in
order to communicate with such people by a special finger language which they have learnt.
Courses in first-aid, nursing and maternity and child welfare were well attended and
the Junior Red Cross also attended mothercraft, nursing and first-aid lectures and examinations.
Several Indian girls joined the Cadet Units and came regularly to the meetings.
The Handicraft Club for the Disabled increased its membership again. Thirty-five
members attended the meetings each week in 1963. There were various outings during the
year.
Other activities of the local Red Cross included escort duties, medical loan depot,
visiting, all clerical work connected with, and attendance at, Blood Donor sessions, emergency
help for disabled ex-Servicemen, the almoning of grants from various organisations
and charities, first-aid duties at the local Rugby Football ground, the Royal Festival Hall
and school functions, and assistance as "casualties" and "casualty fakers" at the Civil
Defence exercises at the Hayes training ground.
A valuable section of the Division, apart from the uniformed V.A.D. members, is that
of the ordinary members, who help in many ways, other than medical or training ones.
They undertake regular escort duties, money-raising activities, and help with the Handicraft
Club for the Disabled each week.
The Physically Disabled Peoples' League—Southall Branch:
A new club for disabled old age pensioners was started in the Spring of 1963. The
membership grew rapidly and amounted to 105 by the end of the year. Transport was
arranged for the members and a specially constructed coach with lifting arrangements
23