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of tea and a milk beverage are also available at economical prices. Members
living alone are encouraged to make use of the S.O.S. card scheme, and have the
card ready and completed with personal details for window display should an
emergency occur.
This is the only club premises open daily for the use of old age pensioners
but there are other clubs meeting in different parts of the Borough once a week
to which mobile old age pensioners become attached as members, for social and
recreational purposes.
Brentford Old Folks Social Club
This club meets every Wednesday 1.30 p.m. - 5 p.m. and has 150 members
The meetings are social with periodic visiting entertainers There were two
free outings in 1962 with a gift of 5s„ Od, for each person for tea on these
occasions; also a free tea once per month and two annual parties.
Old Age Pensions Association (Brentford Branch)
The membership of this Club is over 100. There is a weekly meeting of a
social nature with occasional Concert Parties. Two free outings per year, an
annual tea and a Christmas dinner are held. The Association runs a penny a
week club for sickness and deaths.
Old Age Pensions Association (Chiswick Branch)
This association has a membership of 120 and meets weekly for social purposes.
A free annual outing and Christmas Tea Party are held. and in 1962
additional outings were arranged and paid for by the members of the Association
themselves.
Other Societies
Several of the societies whose functions are classified elsewhere in this
report contribute to a very considerable extent to the Welfare of the Elderly,
i.e. the British Red Cross Association, the St. John Ambulance Brigade, the
Blind Club, the Club for the Hard of Hearing, the two Philanthropic Societies
and the Chiswick Mission The last named owns two houses which are let to aged
persons- the number of tenants is eight, and the tenants, each of whom has one
room, pay a small nominal rent.
Slipper Baths
Under the scheme for the provision at reduced rates (2d. per bath) of
slipper baths for old people at the Public Baths Establishments, 2,088 baths
were taken in Chiswick and 1 306 in Brentford.
Meals on Wheels
The provision of a hot dinner once a day for an old person living alone may
make all the difference between health and malnutrition. The Meals on Wheels
Service operated by the Brentford and chiswick Welfare Organisation continued
to expand during 1962 Many times the two vans, which are now in operation each
day from Monday to Friday, were required to take round a number far in excess
of the normal capacity, and still a waiting list of old persons requiring the
meals had to be maintained The number of meals rose from 17,215 supplied to
168 elderly persons in 1960, to 22,118 meals supplied to 192 persons during
1961. In 1962, the figure rose again, and 26,874 meals were supplied to 204
persons, and the need for a third van was becoming really urgent.
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