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The Town Council appoints two representatives annually and
the present representatives are:-
Alderman Mrs. A. Woodgate, J,P.
Councillor J.R. Ashton.
During the year 1961 an amount of £1,841 was spent on giving
help to 80 families in the Division.
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS.
During the year fifty-nine medical examinations were carried
out at the Public Health DepUUAAartment, 2, Shalston Villas. These
included the examination of new entrants to the Council's service,
also members of staff attaining the age of 18 years to determine
their suitability for acceptance under the Superannuation Scheme;
members of the Borough Engineer's outdoor staff after completing
six months' service to determine their suitability into the
Council's Sick Pay Scheme, also to examine special cases referred
for investigation. The latter usually necessitated a considerable
amount of correspondence with private doctors and hospital
specialists.
WELFARE OF OLD PEOPLE
There is in the Borough much voluntary activity devoted to
this cause such as provision of weekly clubs, daily centre,
arranging seaside holidays, distribution of Christmas gifts and
visiting of house-bound.
The work is co-ordinated through the Surbiton Old People's
Welfare Committee, a voluntary body representative of most walks
of life and presided over by His Worship the Mayor.
The Town Council leases to the Committee a large house known
as "Alfriston", Berrylands Road, which, after extensive works of
repair and re-decoration, was opened in September 1958 as a Centre
for old people, including clubrooms, recreation rooms, handicraft
room, chiropody clinic and canteen. The chiropody service is now
being conducted on behalf of the County Council.
A meals on wheels service is operated by the Surbiton Division
of the British Red Cross Society, and the Council makes a generous
contribution towards the cost involved. The number of subsidised
mid-day meals distributed during the year was 4,156.
The Borough Council has provided ninety-four special flats for
aged people, and a further twelve are under construction.
There can be no exaggeration of the importance of this work
for the old people, or of its increasing urgency as year succeeds
year and more survive to the older age groups.
It is now imperative that the contributions in money and
services by the Local Authorities, i.e. County and Borough be
extended and continuous co-ordination be exerted over all the field
of work.
CO-ORDINATION OF HEALTH AND OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES.
In 1957 a committee of the Council was formed to consider and
report upon methods of co-hperation between the Town Council and
other bodies concerned witH the health and other social services
21.