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provided by Middlesex County Council. The Group meets once a month at St. George's
Hall and tea and entertainment are provided.
The Hard of Hearing Club:
This Club had a successful year in 1963 and continued to be popular and useful to its
members, also many persons not actually members of the Club were given help with their
hearing aid difficulties. The membership figure rose slightly and there was an average weekly
attendance of 40. 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.
Five 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.
An important addition to the Group has been the inauguration of a transport service
to convey some of the elderly members who are incapacitated besides being hard of hearing,
to the weekly meetings. The cost of this has been borne by the League and the Group, but at
the same time a small charge (i.e. normal bus fares) is made to the members. This has proved
a great help to those using the transport; at the same time enabling the members to attend
more regularly.
Diabetic Club:
The Southall and District Diabetic Club, a Branch of the British Diabetic Association,
continued to function throughout 1963. 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 73, with a Club Newsletter circulation of 107. The
attendance at monthly meetings in the Masons Room of the Holy Trinity Hall averaged 28.
The Club has a Committee of 10 members which includes three welfare officers and
organisers of various fund-raising activities in aid of the Research Fund of the British
Diabetic Association. The Club programme in 1963 included talks by diabetic chocolate
manufacturers, food demonstrations, social evenings, Road Safety films, three specialised
talks by doctors, a theatre outing, a coach trip to the sea, and a Christmas Party.
In October, the Southall Branch opened a new club in Hounslow, and 18 new members
were enrolled following a Newsletter circulation of 40. The prospects of this club in 1964
are excellent, and as the clubs are to be run on a joint basis, it will greatly expand the
Southall Branch.
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 four Southall members,
and six are attached to the new West Middlesex Branch of the same Society. The Branches
arranged 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,
and in 1963 the West Middlesex Branch was given a Therapeutic Machine to loan to
members for muscle training, this branch also lends wheelchairs and is collecting money
for its own Ambulance.
Spas tics Welfare Society:
The Central Middlesex Spastics Welfare Society is a voluntary organisation, having as
its primary object the intention of helping as many Spastics as possible within the Borough
of Southall and surrounding Boroughs to lead fuller and happier lives.
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