"Settling-in” Process in Evacuation Scheme.
(Women’s Work in the Villages)•
Women voluntary helpers are playing a big part in
the "settling-in" process now in progress in areas which have
received women and children under the Government evacuation
scheme*
Working in co-operation with the local authorities
and Ministry of Health officials, Women’s Voluntary Services
and the Women’s Institutes are making "personal adjustments"
and organising indoor and outdoor activities*
One of the main problems has been to provide the
mothers with "something to do" 0 Clubs and make-and-mend
parties are being started and are expected to prove the best
way of linking the visitors with the life of the village*
In the Berkshire village of Harwell, for instance,
the Women’s Institute runs a club on Mondays and Fridays to
which mothers and children are welcomed* Tea costs a penny
per head* In one corner of the club a Women’s Institute
member looks after the children. In another, newspapers are
available for mothers who do not wish to join the sewing party*
Many other Institutes are running daily clubs*
Another need which is being tackled is for halls or
club rooms where the women and children can receive their
relations and talk to them over tea. On Sunday - which is
"Fathers’ Day" - many cottages are overtaxed both for room and for refreshment So Club rooms on these lines have already been
started at Hit chin (Hertfordshire) and West Wycombe
(Buckinghamshire).
- Communal meals for mothers as well as children -- are helping to relieve the burden on householders* At
-1 o 7T/39. St. Ives, Huntingdonshire, the Women’s Voluntary Services have
communal set up a communal laundry as well as a kitchen®
There are canteens at Berkhamsted, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone,
Dover, Folkestone, Hitchin and many ether places®
Another need being met by the Women’s Voluntary
Services is for clothing centres to cater for ill-clad children.
A considerable number are at work and many more will be
started within the next few weeks*
Plans are being made by the women helpers to keep
the children occupied when they ere not at school® Many of
the schools in the reception areas have to work on a two-shift
system* The children attend mornings one week and afternoons
the next* This leaves still a good deal of time in which
they need to be "taken off the hands" of the householder, and as soon as the indoor problems have been settled teachers and
helpers are going to develop organised games, gardening parties and outdoor nature work®
Play centres have already been started by a number
of Women's Institutes«
Some of the outstanding successes of the Women’s
Institutes and Women’s Voluntary Services workers have "been in
A "personal adjustments" 0 little advice and encouragement to either householder or visitor has often brought about a transformation in home conditions® Use of the kitchen stove, for instance, is one problem which has been satisfactorily settled in hundreds of cases®
In many areas local Welfare Committees are undertaking the task of talking over difficulties with both partieso
Other or the phases "settling~in" process are as follow:-
2 Redistribution - Under the control of Regional Officers of
the Ministry of Health, transfers are being carried out in
order to smooth out inequalities in numbers of evacuees as between districts. Where necessary the local authorities
are moving women and children to more suitable billets.
Appeal Tribunals - These have now been established by a large
number of local authorities and are hearing householders’
applications.
Hostels. A number of empty houses have already been taken
over for mothers and children who are ’’special cases”. In
many cases local people have made gifts of furniture and
other equipment.
Medical Treatment. Action has been taken by the medical
staffs of local authorities to deal with cases where children
billeted on private households have been found to be verminous
or suffering from skin and other ailments.
Most of the 330,000 Women’s Institute members are
giving personal service. Here are some reports from the
villages:-
BERKSHIRE
Harwell (near Didcot). The Institute is running a
Mothers’ Club on Mondays and Fridays, 2-4 p.m. Mothers and children are welcomed* Old clothes are supplied "by members and cut up from patterns for children’s clothes,. The mothers sew up the garments, and also knit blankets. Cases for gas-masks are being made out of old material.
Shinfield - The Institute has already arranged a tea-
for the party mothers and babies. They all came and enjoyed themselves very much - including the evacuation officers.
They are now organising a weekly Club in which the mothers will he able to do their own mending* Tea is served at 2d. a time. The members are hoping ultimately to let the Club be managed "by a joint committee of the mothers and Women’s
Institute members*
3 Whitchurch - The foster-mothers found that the clothes
sent down by the London parents were unsuitable. A member
was sent to explain what was needed, and to ask the mothers
in London to form a club to make these clothes.
Woodley - This Institute borrowed the British Legion hut,
and ran a Club. They also have a stall at which new and old
clothes are sold, or in certain cases (on the advice of the
L.C.C.) given to the mothers.
Barley - This Institute is starting a Club.
Wargrave - Evacuees invited to monthly meetings.
Institute members 3d each for and as paying o tea, acting
hostesses for the mothers. They have arranged a special
u programme with demonstrations on How to shop and cook in the
Country”•
Brimpton - This Institute is arranging sewing and mending
parties for the evacuees,,
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.
Tver - Daily Club has been opened between 12 and 4.
Mothers come there to do their mending, and tea is available.
Taplow - The Institute is arranging dancing classes for
the children.
West Wycombe - A Hall has been engaged, which is opened
on Sunday afternoons, where mothers and fathers, who come down
from their London, may see children o The Institute members
run a canteen.
Chalfont St. Giles - Women’s Institute members with other
organisations have organised a canteen at the Cookery Centre.
Lunch is provided at 3d. a head, and this pays the overhead
expenses.
Haddenham - Weekly make-and-mend parties are attended by the mothers and children, as well as local members.
4 Downley - The Institute has organised entertainments and
a party for the mothers.
SURREY.
Dormansland - Club for the mothers.
Shalford and other Institutes organising play centres
for the children.
Bisley - The Institute is organising make-and-mend
working parties.
DORSET.
Where the evacuees are mainly school children,
Institutes are being advised to see if they can organise help
with the mending for those who are housing the children, and
also with amusing and looking after the children at week-ends.
If there are only a few adult evacuees, they will be asked to
join the Institute, as at Halstock. Bridport Women*s
Institute Centre has appointed a Welfare Committee.
SOMERSET.
The Public Assistance authorities are supplying
materials for making into clothes for evacuees and Institutes
are assisting by forming work parties.
WEST SUSSEX.
Some Women's Institutes have already invited their
evacuees to their ordinary meetings. Several have formed
working parties.
Chichester - The Institute did canteen work for arrivals.
EAST SUSSEX.
Chiddingly - A scheme has been drawn up with the approval
of the Medical Officer of Health for a Child Care Clinic in a
room in the he large Vicarage 0 It will open every day, with
a woman doctor responsible. They also have a scheme for
entertaining children - for instance, films in the village hall*
Visiting among the mothers is being organised by a committee.
5 They are arranging for a sewing Club* in which one person will
undertake the cutting out of garments, one member will store
the finished articles, and another distributes them once a
week to those in the greatest need.
ISLE OP ELY.
Wisbech - The Billeting Officer wrote to the President of
the Women’s Institute asking help with clerical work.
She appealed at one of the monthly meetings and twelve
volunteers offered their services. They have worked
continuously ever since©
Ministry of Information*
September 22, 1939.