OLD ST. HELENS HOSPITAL

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27151, 22 September 1953, Page 7

OLD ST. HELENS HOSPITAL

ACCEPTANCE AS HOME FOR AGED

DECISION OF WELFARE COUNCIL

The executive of the Christchurch Aged People’s Welfare Council has accepted a final offer from the Government to take over the buildings of the old St. Helens Hospital for use as a home for elderly persons, according to a report made to the council at a meeting yesterday by the chairman of the executive (Dr. H. R. Donald). The council had given the executive authority to negotiate with the Government at a previous meeting. The Government has offered the buildings to the council rent free, with a proportion of all equipment and furnishings from Howardville, and a grant of 50 per cent, to cover half the cost of alterations, repairs and decorations. The offer also includes an interest-free loan of 25 years to cover the remaining cost of alterations, repairs, and decorations. The executive took the view that if the Government was anxious to hand over its inherited responsibilties at Burnham Camp to voluntary organisations, and these responsibilities included an annual expenditure of some £6OOO, then the very least the Government could do was to provide alternative accommodation in an equally good state of repair and running order, Dr. Donald said. “The executive has not been willing that the private charity of this city should relieve the Government of these annual expenses and at the same time meet half of the considerable cost which will be necessary to make these buildings serviceable,” he added. ‘‘lt may well be argued, and I think with some justice, that the Government is shedding its responsibilities at Howardville remarkably lightly,” he said. “On the other hand, the buildings of the old St. Helens Hospital occupy a strategic site in the heart of a populous area of this city. Without such accommodation this council cannot hope to integrate on a district basis the many problems of an ageing population, and it must be considered fortunate that circumstances have so arisen to make these buildings available on such relatively reasonable terms.”

Offers of Help The executive was fully prepared to take immediate action, and it was gratifying to record that several organisations had already offered their services, including members of the original society of the Friends of St. Helens as well as members of the Royal Empire Society, Dr. Donald said. So far the executive has not received a reply from the Government to its acceptance of the conditions of the offer.

The council’s street appeal had brought in the sum of £2OOO, which was ‘‘no mean achievement,” said Dr. Donald. A house-to-house collection was being organised to obtain funds for the construction of the council’s first district centre on a site given by Mr Ernest Adams in the Shirley area. The organisation of such a collection presented problems of some magnitude and required the co-operation and assistance of more than 1700 persons. . “If we take over St. Helens buildings there will be an obligation on us all to meet the commitment,” said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.), who is chairman of the council.

Cost of Upkeep Dr. Donald said it was difficult to assess what the cost of upkeep of St. Helens would be if turned into a home for old people, but he thought it would be approximately £2OOO a year. “The maximum board received from residents would be £2 a week each, ’ he added.

“Unless we can show the citizens of Christchurch that this council means business we cannot expect to receive a great amount of support,” Dr. Donald continued. “But if we could show that St. Helens was, indeed, giving a firstrate service to the district, then the spm of £2OOO a year would really be nothing.” The annual deficit of running the home had been worked out at approximately £l6OO, he said.

TTie Rev. W. E. Falkingham, superintendent of the Methodist Central Mission, said that from experience he had found it cost £5 a week to keep an old person in a home. “It seems to me that we should be prepared to fine £3 a week above the payment of the pension,” he said. “On that basis we would have to commit ourselves to finding £5OOO a year, and there is a big difference between collecting £2OOO a year and £5OOO a year.”

Maintaining the Home Miss M. B. Howard, M.P., said that the Government wanted some assurance that the council could see its way clear to maintaining the home. The Government would not want to give financial help then have the home “back in its lap” a few years later. “I Aid see a gleam of hope when I read that a picture party m aid of this work was going to be held for the Queen when she visits Christchurch, for which people will be asked to pay £25 a seat. That would bring in about £20,000 which would last at least five years,” Miss Howard said. “But what about the following years?” she asked. “I cannot ee the citizens of Christchurch providing about £3OOO every year for the upkeep of this home when there are so many other collections for charities. We have some great optimists here if we are going to take up a house-to-house collection for erecting homes in the Shirley area as well as taking the responsibility of the upkeep of St. Helens. We are committing representatives of organisations in this council for years ahead,” she said.

“We shall have to go fully into the questions of financial commitments; every organisation here has its own work to do, though all should be helped to some extent by this project,” said Mr Macfarlane.