Gift Parcels from Stockton

Grey River Argus, 23 February 1949, Page 8

Gift Parcels from Stockton

Mrs P. Evans, now of New Plymouth, and former secretary of the St. John Ambulance at Stockton, has received from the Mayor of Stock-ton-on-Tees, England, Aiderman W. Lilystone, the following letter: — “Greetings, I wish to convey to your k'«i self and cadets and senior members of- Stockton St. John Ambulance Association for the hampers you sent, eight in number, which I received for distribution to deserving old-aged pensioners. I personally distributed the hampers to the most needy cases here, and I can assure you the recipients were more than delighted to receive such seasonal gifts. They were poor and sick and you have been the means of making them very happy, as from what I learned the recipients would have spent a cheerless Christmas without the gifts. To ensure that the hampers went where needed, I contacted the Red Cross Brigade here, and they supplied the names and addresses. It was a real pleasure to me to be your Santa Claus. I sincerely wish you and your association every success in the future.

“In Stockton-on-Tees, we operate what is termed an Old Peoples’ Welfare Club. We have six such clubs, to which old people aged 65 years and over are invited to attend. Each club meets one afternoon each week and they are provided with games and reading matter and usually a musical concert of some description. They receive a cup of tea and some light refreshments. Some clubs have their own choi> and the old people have some good musical talent. In the summer months we give tluxrn an outing by bus to some sea-side resort, and altogether we make the evening of their lives as pleasant as possible. It is all voluntary work and my committee organises all sorts of functions to raise the necessary finance. We spent £3OO last year. I attended a function last night and received a cheque for £2lB from the proceeds of a Christmas draw organised by the Licensed Victuallers. We had a football match on Christmas Day which realised £54. We have more than 2,000 members, some turned 92-years-of-age, so you will realise we require a lot of finance. Of course there are many more not members, and it was to those your hampers were given.” LACK OF VARIETY

“We are not so badly off for rations. The only complaint is lack of variety. Still time will bring improvement. I have occupied the position of mayor here since Nov. 9, 1946, and my term will finish in May 1949. During this time many food gifts have been sent from the Colonies, and it has given me the greatest pleasure to hand over the gifts to our aged citizens, who have deeply appreciated the gesture. It was a very line gesture on your part to remember your town’s namesake in England, and may God bless you all.” “I cannot hope to visit your town, but perhaps some day I may see a photo of it. I appeared in a local Him called “One Man’s Story,” which I understand will be shown in the Colonies some day and I hope you may see our Stockton.”