New Unit At Burwood Centre Big Improvement

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30201, 5 August 1963, Page 2

New Unit At Burwood Centre Big Improvement

The opening of a technical arts unit at the Girls’ I raining Centre, Burwood, marked an important milestone in the development of the centre and also in New Zealand’s social work for girls needing training and guidance, said the Minister of Child welfare (Mr McKay) when opening the unit and a new accommodation block on Saturday.

“I am pleased, as the Minister of Child Welfare, to authorise progressive developments of this kind.” Mr McKay said. “New Zealanders have a well-developed social conscience and I know that these advancements have the sympathetic support of men and women in all walks of life.”

The Burwood centre had a progressive. positive programme ot activi-es designed to occupy the girls constructively and to help •hem when they took their rightful place in the community and family life, he said. Handicapped Although the programme had been carefully planned and developed, it had been obstructed by lack of proper facilities. The new unit would facilitate the engagement of specialist officers to provide a more comprehensive training programme than the centre had been able to give in the past, he said

The new Scottford House was an Impressive building and a valuable facility. It would provide much-needed accommodadton and would allow for a better classification of girls in the training programme.

A three-roomed school was recently completed at the centre and a new administrative unit will be started soon.

Other speakers at the opening ceremony were Mr J Mathison, MP for Aven: the Deputy-Mayor of Christchurch (Nfr H. P Smith', and the Superintendent of the Child Welfare Division (Mr C. E. Peak), who accompanied Mr Mackay from Wellington They were welcomed by Mrs Ford: the chairman of the girls’ council at the centre and a group of Maori trainees wearing traditional dress, who sang a Maori song of welcome. The guests included persons interested in the centre's work, parents, and former staff members and trainees. Domestic Science The new technical arts unit is a well-equipped, single-storey building. It has

a large domestic science room with goth gas and electric stoves, a washing machine and clothes dryer. This department will be in the charge of a domestic science •eacher who will train the girls. In the past they were taught domestic crafts in the various house kitchens Leading off the domestic science room is a model dining room with contemporary furniture, where the girls will be taught to serve meals and wait at table. In the unit there is also a three-chair hairdressing room, a large handwork room, two sewing rooms^—one of which has an adjacent fitting room complete with two long mirrors. Canteen Inside the entrance is a canteen, which will be run by the girls' council under supervision of the housemaster and housemistress. Scottford House, a modern accommodation block for 16 senior girls, has all single bedrooms, each decorated in a different colour scheme.

Off the big. sunny lounge are a writing room and a dining room. They are furnished in bright, tasteful colours. planned to appeal to the trainees who will live there An up-to-date library has also been opened at the centre in a former sewing room. It has groups of tables and chairs, a couch and desk, surrounded by wall bookcases.