Report of visit to Bow occupational centre
1934-05-11 1934 1930s 2 pages MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW. Date 11th May 1934 Time 3.30pm to ..... SUBJECT. REPORT OF VISIT TO BOW OCCUPATIONAL CENTRE. Reference HBM/AEC/679 Present. Dr. H.B. Morgan His Worship the Mayor of Poplar. I visited the Poplar Occupational Centre as arranged. The visit was th...
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| Institution: | MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick |
| Language: | English English |
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11 May 1934
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10796/AC056C83-4961-458E-AA48-59ED378BA358 http://hdl.handle.net/10796/013DB36C-6FC1-4025-94D3-A04A44FDBEED |
| Summary: | 1934-05-11
1934
1930s
2 pages
MEMORANDUM OF INTERVIEW. Date 11th May 1934 Time 3.30pm to ..... SUBJECT. REPORT OF VISIT TO BOW OCCUPATIONAL CENTRE. Reference HBM/AEC/679 Present. Dr. H.B. Morgan His Worship the Mayor of Poplar. I visited the Poplar Occupational Centre as arranged. The visit was the outcome of a request by the Social Insurance Department to have some information as to the Centre, the opening ceremony of which was described in the columns of the "Daily Herald". There had been some difficulty in arranging this visit as a previous fixture had unfortunately through a misunderstanding been missed. The Centre was very difficult to find. It was said to be in a certain street, but there was no number. No details were given. No one in the district, or street, even the local curate of the street Church or the local policeman knew anything of it. A call at the Poplar Town Hall gave no further information. A second attempt by the waiting and patient taximan found the Centre. There was no outside indication of its existence or presence in the building. I arrived very early to make sure of finding it and was half an hour or so before the appointment made with the Mayor of Poplar. The Secretary was present and showed me the one room. This Centre occupied at present only one room - about 14' x 22'. It was approached through another room which was apparently in process of decoration. There was very little order or system. In the room of the Centre itself there was one Instructress who was very deaf. She seemed very capable at her work and at instructing her pupils and her examination of their finished products was thorough and meticulous. If the work was not considered satisfactory, it was pulled to pieces by her to be redone by the pupil. There were three female pupils - two apparently heart cases and one with a kyphotic (crippled) back. These pupils were engaged in embroidery and sewing work or in basket making or in russet work. There were four male pupils - two with very poor eyesight, one with deafness and the other was very reticent about himself. These were engaged in basket work of different kinds. The work seemed to be well done, of a fairly high standard and the pupils, who only attended once or twice a week or when their disability allowed them, were keen on doing the work and were glad to have an occupation of some interest. I was shown some of the former work from a cupboard, and the frames for future work. As far as the pupils were concerned there can be no doubt that they were glad to be occupied even though disabled or physically unfit, but the room was not up to the standard of the Factory Act. The work room was not clean enough. The room, wall and cupboard were not clean and orderly enough. There was too much dust about. I doubt whether any Factory Inspector of the Home Office would pass the room as a workshop. The idea behind the movement of these occupational centres seems sound. As I understand it the principle is to provide places, centres or workshops where the physically disabled (from whatever cause) may come when they can and be kept employed in some occupation as a physical exercise and
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| Physical Description: | TEXT |