CAMPS FOR CHILDREN

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 November 1939, Page 2

CAMPS FOR CHILDREN

BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S PLANS

LONDON, September 26

The Government is having constructed 50 national camps for school holidays and evacuated children. It is expected that by the beginning of the year they Avill be> Avell advanced. Half that number are already in various stages of progress. J’he Ministry of Health and the Board of Education will decide upon the use Avhich is to be made of the centres.

A visit paid to one of the. first to be completed is described by a special correspondent of “The Times.” In the beautiful woodland site the dozen building's Avhich make up the camp stand in 20 acres of ground,. Avith access to Avoods on three sides. Although five miles * from a market town, it lias been connected witli main electricity and water services, so that tho camp could be used in Winter as well as in Summer. The huts of cedar wood are grouped on two sides of a green square, crossed by a hedge and trees. Running north and south on one side of the site are six dormitory huts, each taking 58 children and tiyo teachers or supervisors. They will sleep in double tiers of bunks, arranged down the sides of the lofty, airy dormitories. Within easy reach are lavatory huts, each fitted Avith 12 shower baths, as well as lavatory basins. For night time sanitary accommodation. has been added to each dormitory hut.

The assembly hall and the dininghall (with kitchen in an attached wing) are close by. Alongside the outside wall runs a verandah, where leisure time can be spent and lessons given. All cooking "ill be doin', by electricity. although steam also will be available.

All the huts are raised ISiu off the ground on concrete blocks. 'l’hey are centrally heated by radiators ami lit by electricity. There are quarters for the camp manager and f:;r the head teachers of the visiting schools. Another block provides accommodation for the permanent, camp staffFrom the camp entrance in a small country road to the boiler-house a metalled road is being built so that supplies may be brought to the door by vans.

Flower beds will be laid between the dormitory blocks, and the children will probably be encouraged to spend much time in flower and vegetable gardening. Of the lay-out the criticism may be made that the camp looks too much like a cam]) and not enough like a community, even allowing for the fact that work is still being done there. In other parts of the country experiments are being made with less monotonous schemes of layout, although the huts themselves are standardised in design and materials. ’Pen weeks is the time needed to put the materials together.