“AN ENLIGHTENING DAY”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27317, 17 February 1950, Page 2

“AN ENLIGHTENING DAY”

Lady Cameron Tells Of WVS , Activities In London Visits to a Dhrby and Joan Club, to dining rooms conducted for old people, to a hostel for transient girl visitors to London, and helping to serve " meals on wheels ” to old people, kept Lady Cameron busy on the day she spent with the Women’s Voluntary Services in London, '' I was impressed 'with the years of voluntary work which the women in England have given,’’ she told the Townswomen’s City Guild at its meeting yesterday afternoon.

Begun during the war, the WVS filled a great social heed. They provided meals and clothing for bombed-out people, organised rest homes, and conducted canteens for the services. In peacetime they have turned their activities to other causes and still working voluntarily, members give regular hours each week to the old people’s clubs or meal services, to hostels, or they knit garments for sale at the WVS shops.

In one of the dining rooms—converted shop premises in Stepney—a daily midday meal was served to 40 old people. There were two helpers tn the dining room and two more cooked the dinner in

the kitchen, For a moderate cost, including no labour charges, a two-course meal and a cup of tea was provided. The difficulty was to get the old people to go home. The organiser told Lady Cameron that when the meal was over the old folk liked to stay on and chat to their friends.

Helping to serve the “ meals on wheels," Lady Cameron found a most enlightening experience. The old age pension in Britain is 26s per week, so that many old people are close to poverty, living sometimes up three flights of rickety stairs. The meals in this service were bought by the WVS from the British restaurants and again the cost was extremely small, 8d for a two-course meal. Each meal was placed in individual containers, put in the WVS van and served by WVS personnel.

At the Darby and Joan Club visited by Lady Cameron, there were about 100 jnen and women playing cards, looking at magazines or just chatting in the pleasant surroundings. Afternoon tea, served by the WVS, in their green uniform overalls, cost 2d. At this club, the members paid 3d a week towards a day’s outing at the seaside or in the country. “ Though some of them had very little money, they were all cheery and bright,” said Lady Cameron.

Hostels are conducted in London for the girls in the services, of whom there still appear to be a great many. They provided beds, meals and a comfortable sitting room, and here only the housekeeper and the canteen organiser were paid workers. All other help was given voluntarily. Women throughout the country knit garments for sale in the WVS shops; at one shop Lady Cameron saw a table set out with exquisite work done by wives of Durham miners, and there are shops sometimes in the smallest villages. Tire proceeds from these shops help to give the WVS an income to devote to all its enterprises.