CARE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27466, 28 September 1954, Page 6

CARE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE

Appeal For Funds For Buildings WELFARE COUNCIL ACCEPTS OFFER

The task of raising money for the completion of the Shirley-Burwood project and Langford House to accommodate about 80 frail elderly people will be undertaken by a Christchurch organisation on behalf of the Christchurch Aged People’s . Welfare Council.

The offer to launch the appeal was unanimously accepted at a meeting of the council last evening, but the name of the organisation will not, at its request, be announced in the meantime. After the completion of the Shirley home and Langford House, the council agreed to do all in its power to assist its constituent bodies to complete their own existing works. Asked what the cost of the project would be, the chairman of the council’s executive (Dr. H. R. Donald) said it had been estimated at about £BO.OOO if put to open contract, but the proposal was to build by voluntary labour.

The council at its. last meeting had empowered its executive to call together a special committee of businessmen in Christchurch, with the object of raising funds to further the work of the welfare council, said Dr. Donald. While looking for suitable members for the committee the executive had been informed that a certain organisation in the town would be willing to launch an appeal campaign, stipulating that the council accept unanimously the offer to undertake this task.

“The distribution of money received would go entirely to the council to further its building projects, and JI would like to make this quite clear: by the very nature of this oganisation it would be impossible for such funds to be split up among our constituent members. This would be a community effort and proceeds could only be distributed to the community,’’ Dr. -Donald said. “The executive recommends the council to accept unanimously the generous offer of this organisation—the identity of which I have been asked to suppress until the time is ripe—to go to the public for a large sum of money to fulfil our building programme.’’ he said. “Conversely, if unanimity cannot be achieved then it would be impossible for this organisation to become involved in this arduous task.”

Two members of the organisation concerned were present at the meeting at the invitation of the president and executive of the council, he said.

“Turning Point” “The decision we must make tonight might well be a turning point in our affairs,” said Dr. Donald when Reviewing the past work of the council. The committee first appointed, and later the executive, considered that no adequate imprint could be made on the problem merely by the co-ordina-tion of existing members of the council. If the council was to be effective it would have to take active steps. Many members of churches, at early meetings, had expressed the view that they themselves could not take responsibility for the entire problem. Accordingly, a long-term plan was framed, which envisaged a single authority with regional centres, Dr. Donald said. The Minister of Health made a special visit to Christchurch to inquire into the bona fides of the organisation and it was largely because of the support of the churches that he gave permission for the council to be granted a 50 per cent, subsidy. "Unfortunately this unanimity was cast in some doubt by the events of the last six months—particularly those which characterised the dealing with the proceeds from the Royal cinema performance. It almost seemed that some interests in this town might be averse to a community approach to the problem of the aged. Unanimous Approval Sought

“In order to clear up any doubt of this nature the organisation which has offered to launch the appeal campaign is anxious that the council should give its unanimous approval to the offer. If we accept this offer we may well be laying the foundation for a new and better approach to the problems of the aged, on which the council can build, and of which the city may be proud. If we refuse it even by a single vote then the policy as well as the commitments of the council may have to be drastically reviewed.’’ he. said.

Mr W. H. Lar com be (Pensioners’ Welfare Association) then moved that the recommendation to accept the organisation’s offer to undertake the task of raising money for the council’s building projects be approved. “This is the beginning of something very big in Christchurch as far as the aged are concerned.- I hope the council will accept the offer and do all in its power to carry it out.’’ The seconder was Dr. F. O. Bennett (British Medical Association).

At the request of Mr S. E. Mair (Nurse Maude District Nursing Association) the cquncil was told in committee the name of the organisation which had offer.ed to undertake the appeal campaign. Many churches were already committed in the work of caring for the aged, and the church homes for old people were not denominational but open to all in need, said Mr G. M. Morgan (Social Service Council of the Diocese of Christchurch). “I believe the Christchurch Aged Peoples’ Welfare Council is right behind its constituent members, and I feel sure my committee will be right behind the Shirley project and Langford House. The more accommodation made available the better,” he said. Position of Churches

“I think the council’s project is an excellent one, but a matter that must be considered is that homes for old people already established by the churches must be maintained,” said the Rev. T. G. Campbell (Presbyterian Social Services’ Association). Commending the organisation concerned for offering to launch the appeal, the Rev. W. E. Falkingham (Methodist Central Mission) said he believed that this effort might be the crowning achievement of community welfare projects. Many thousands of people who were young today would have reason to thank the organisation for undertaking the task. “Many organisations will be wholeheartedly behind this Shirley scheme and I want to say I am behind it. Our ideal should be to create homes for aged-frail to give them security and happiness,” he said. Mr Falkingham pointed out that all church homes for the aged were community homes ministering to those in need. To obtain a Government subsidy an assurance had to be given that residents would be admitted irrespective of creed. The churches conducting these homes had to raise large sums of money by June, 1956, to qualify for allocations from the Royal cinema performance for their own building schemes. If the council decided to devote all money raised by its appeal to one cause the churches would be left to launch their own appeals. Because of the time factor the churches’ campaigns for funds nnd the council’s appeal must cut across each other. It would be disastrous to have several appeals running at the same time.

“We can prove we are a co-ordinat-ing body by agreeing to pull together and having the council’s project as our main objective,” Mr Falkingham said. Dr. Bennett said that the problem ■of the aged had grown too big for the churches: it had become a corn’munity responsibility. Somehow the money would be raised. The churches need not be faint-hearted—all that was needed was faith.

On the recommendation of Mr Campbell, an amendment to the resolution was passed that the council unanimously accept the generous offer of the outside organisation to undertake the task of raising money for the completion of the Shirley project and Langford House, after which the council will do all in its power to assist constituent bodies to complete their existing works.