Latimer Hall May Be New Y.W.C.A. Hostel

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29324, 1 October 1960, Page 2

Latimer Hall May Be New Y.W.C.A. Hostel

“Why don’t they paint that place. It’s a blot on the landscape.” Comments like these have often been heard near Latimer Hall, in Latimer square, but to paint this “old timer,” as the treasurer of the Young Women’s Christian Association (Mrs W. G. V, Fernie) called it in her annual report, would be a costly business.

“What you ought to do is pull the place down and build flats for single women." This was the view of Miss Jean Begg, who in the 1940's controlled about 23 Y.W.CA. centres in the Middle East, from a palace in Cairo to huts in the desert, leave centres In Jerusalem and clubs at Bagdad, Teheran. Nairobi and Athens. She called at the Christchurch Y.W.C.A. in 1953, and the general secretary. Miss B. J. Hardie, has never forgotten her advice. ’

A hint of what Miss Hardie has in mind is given' by the treasurer

in her annual report “More and more halls are being erected in the suburbs, and some day we will have a Town Hall and halls.” she says. “Our building will have outlived its usefulness, and perhaps a new motel-hostel will be occupying that corner.

“Renovations to the exterior are held up while we formulate our policy,” said Mias Hardie yesterday. “The board Of directors is considering how best to sheet the greatest need. Some of us believe that to provide suitable housing is the most essential service. “Our 60-bed Latimer hostel is inadequate. Riverlaw, an uneconomical project, is now closed. It seems reasonable for the Y.W.C.A. to extend the hostel on to this valuable corner site, its own frtee-

hold property. • “My opinion is that the existing

excellent hostel be used for teenage residents, and that a modern block be erected on the Latimer Hall site for older women,” said Miss Hardie. “None of us are in a position yet to say exactly what type of accommodation should be provided, but modern trends are being studied. “We look forward to the return from overseas of one of our directors, and also a member of the national staff, both of whom are investigating types of Y.W.C.A. and other hostels in Britain and U.S.A. They should be able to help us in our planning for the future.”