Y.W.C.A. WELFARE WORK

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24905, 19 June 1946, Page 2

Y.W.C.A. WELFARE WORK

ADDRESS BY MISS BETTY LORIMER An interesting account of her work in the Welfare for Servicewomen Organisation of the Young Women’s Christian Association was’ given yesterday by Miss Betty Lorimer at the annual meeting of the Friends of St. Helens. Miss Lorimer, who holds rank equivalent to that of lieutenantcolonel, will leave New Zealand again soon to take up Young Women’s Christian Association welfare work in Japan. When the Y.W.C.A. first made inquiries about the organising of clubs for servicewomen in the Middle East, the association was told that it would get no recognition or assistance from the Army said Miss Lorimer. “The Army looks after its servicewomen very well, and we don’t need you. However, we can’t stop you from establishing a club, but we won’t help you.”

This was what Miss Jean Begg, director of the organisation, was told, Miss Lorimer said. It was not .long, however, before the Army approached the Y.W.C.A., which was faced with the task of opening about 12 clubs at once, Miss Lorimer continued.

‘‘lt was not long before we were sending all over the world for staff. We had workers from Australia, New Zealand, America, and England. No sooner had we absorbed the staff we had, than another building was ready to open as a club,” the speaker continued.

“In every single place we have taken over in the East the drainshave been wrong,” commented Miss Lorimer in describing some of the difficulties encountered when trying to I make available buildings habitable as i clubs. In Cairo they had the use of a beautiful palace, which was very richly ornamented and decorated, but which was absolutely without drains. Miss Lorimer briefly described her work in the organising of clubs in India, Iraq, and other parts of the East. ‘‘ln Teheran, inflation was so extreme that Mrs Churchill had to raise a special sum of money to enable us to start a club there, because one was so badly needed,” said Miss Lorimer. ‘‘While we are beginning to close down in India, we are still opening up in Japan,” she continued. “We will be carrying on for about another year.”