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The Hard of Hearing Club:
This Club had a successful year in 1964 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.
Four members attended the Old Age Pensioners' Holiday at Bognor, organised by
the Welfare Committee of the Middlesex and Surrey League, part of the cost being borne
by the League. 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 1964. 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 71, with a Club Newsletter circulation of 109. The
attendance at monthly meetings in the Masons Room of the Holy Trinity Hall averaged 28.
The Club has a Committee of 12 members which includes three welfare officers and
organisers of various fund-raising activities in aid of the Research Fund of the British
Diabetic Association. Social events included a theatre outing, a Christmas party, and a
coach trip to the sea.
In 1963, the Southall Branch opened a new club in Hounslow, and this has grown
rapidly—having a membership in 1964 of 49 with a Newsletter circulation of 86. The clubs
were run on a joint basis, this has been useful for 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 Ealing Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, formerly the West London
Branch, 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. The West Middlesex Branch
possesses a Therapeutic Machine to loan to members for muscle training, lends wheelchairs,
and early in 1965 will possess its own Ambulance.
Spastics 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.
At its Training and Work Centre at Ruislip, 30 Spastics attend daily where they are
engaged on light engineering, assembly, printing and other suitable sub-contract work for
local firms. A Social Club meets monthly at Perivale, various coach and other outings are
arranged and financial help given in cases of extreme hardship. Advice and help is given in
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