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Health Department and in due course the homes of the persons nominated on the lists
are visited by the Gas Board Officers. Fresh lists continued to be supplied from time to time.
A visiting library service for old people who were housebound was started early in
1959—operated by the Southall Old People's Welfare Committee, and with distribution
assisted by various young people's groups. This has proved to be a very successful scheme,
not only because the elderly obtain reading material without effort, but because the voluntary
visitors, who include young people from the Girl Guides, give pleasure by their interest
in the old people, and during 1964 a supply of special printed books for the partially-sighted
was added to the library lists.
Southall Association for the Occupation of the Elderly:
This Association continued to maintain two Work Centres during the year; one
situated in the Municipal Sports Ground and one in Featherstone Terrace. The number
employed in the two Centres had risen to 70 at the end of the year. The scheme provides
for simple factory work to be obtained from industrial concerns, i.e. assembly of small
parts, sorting of porcelain fittings, mailing of invoices or advertisements, rubber stripping;
and the workers attend for morning or afternoon periods to carry on this work for which
they are paid a small wage, irrespective of their ability to work at a fast or slow rate.
The purpose of the scheme is mainly for rehabilitation or maintenance of physical and
mental well-being for the elderly and lonely, and has proved to be a very happy means of
social rehabilitation because of the companionship found in the Centres and the feeling of
usefulness which is developed because the workers know that they are taking a useful part
in the life of the community. Social activities in the form of outings to the seaside or to
factories, parties, etc., are organised, and members visit each other when there is sickness.
Any Old Age Pensioner is eligible to apply for work under this scheme and once
taken on is kept on whether his or her output can be considered significant or not. Payment
is made at the rate of l/2d. per hour with occasional bonuses. Cups of tea are provided for
the workers.
National Assistance Act, 1948, Section 47:
National Assistance (.Amendment) Act, 1951:
No case was dealt with under these powers during 1964.
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