Mrs J. Miller-Mead To Retire Soon

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30212, 17 August 1963, Page 2

Mrs J. Miller-Mead To Retire Soon

Mrs J. Miller-Mead, who has given many years’ service to the welfare of handicapped children, is soon to retire as secretary of the Canterbury and West Coast branch of the New Zealand Crippled Children Society. She has held the position for seven years, and worked for 12 years for a similar organisation in England.

Mrs Miller-Mead said her retirement would probably be only temporary. “The work has been very heavy, and I plan to have a rest," she said. During her years with the society, she had seen a tremendous growth in its work. When she first started, there was just one property at 262 Antigua street. Mrs Miller-Mead saw the start of the sheltered workshop in this house, when it was conducted on two halfdays a week. Cerebral palsy craft groups were also held there on three half-days a week. The branch now ran four properties, Mrs Miller-Mead said. The Antigua street house was given entirely to crippled children’s case work. The society bought a property next door, which is leased to the Sheltered Workshop. Last year a nearby property was bought. It is used as the society's activity centre and by the cerebral palsy craft group. The most recent property acquisition was Adam’s House, at New Brighton. Built last year, and converted into motel units, it is now in full-time use as a rest home for crippled children and their families.

The society was now doing a great deal to provide extra educational facilities for handicapped children. “We support them in any way we can—help with provision for their education and training for life to try to make them self-supporting,” Mrs Miller-

Mead said. “The emphasis these days is on ability rather than disability.” The society’s equipment pool had grown tremendously and had been modernised. About 60 modern wheelchairs. and tricycles and bicycles with outrigger wheels were on constant loan. All this had been possible because of the public’s increased interest and knowledge of the society's work. “Because of the public’s increased financial aid we have been able to extend our services,” Mrs Miller-Mead said