THE FRESH AIR FUND.
[To The Editor Stratford Post. I 1 Sir,—The kindly interest which the readers of the “Evening Post” have displayed in the Fresh Air Fund in the j past emboldens me to ask you to al- | low me to remind them once again of , the need of the children of the minis, of the United Kingdom. Many of ns in. this country—and very willingly—will have to dispense with holidays this year; but the children with whom the Fresh Air I'li ra deals are a class of the communitv for ' whom holidays are more than ever urgent. No one would wish to inflict any avoidable suffering upon these little ones, but altogether apart from an\ sentimental reasons we must remember that they represent a great part of the future manhood and womanhood of the Nation, and therefore call for our especial care at tiiis critical am. impressionable stage of their lives. The Fresh Air Fund has in twentyfour years of its existence been the 1 means of sending over three and ahalf million children for a day’s outing. 1 and nearly thirty-five thousand foi a fortnight’s holiday by the sea or in the country. Last year 111,255 children . were given a day’s holiday, and 3.’2U ' were provided with a fortnight’s rc- ■ spite from their usual drab surroundings. So far from relaxing our efforts I during the present upheaval of naticnlal life we must redouble them. 'lhose, ■who know anything of life in the slums will easily realise the wonderful influence for good on the receptive mind cl | a child who sees for the first time the f beauty of the hedgerows and the green fields, after years spent in the impure ai rand terrible surroundings of some hack alley of our great citjgs. The F.A.F. is a great Commonwealth of Happiness,whose boundaries extend from an English slum to practically the last outpost of Empire, for the friends of the F.A.F. are to bo found wherever the British flag is (lying. • Many who were the guests of the Frqsh Air Fund in its early days are now fighting mir battles on land and sea and I think I may say that w hoi - ever our soldiers and sailors are found, the Fresh Air Fund is. knoivn, and honored. Subscriptions in past years ha-e come from the remotest parts of the Empire and from the fleet at sea, The little ,opes„ were not forgotten last year even in the dug-outs of P landers and Northern France, for subscriptions reached us from the gallant men serving at the front. The King is Patron of the Fresh Air I Fund and a generous annual subset filer. All subscriptions received . are j spent upon the children, the cost of organisation being borne by the promoters. The children are drawn with[out distinction of creed from the Mums !of the 43 great cities of the United j Kingdom. Poverty is the only passport to a Fresh Air bund holiday, j Owing to the rise in prices and difficulties in regard to- transit we have 1,0011 reluctantly compelled to raise the cost of a day’s holiday to Is, :ml of a fortnight’s holiday to 12s (3d, instead of 9d and 10s as heretofore, £lO jlO s paying for a complete party of two hundred children to have'a day in the country with the necessary adult attendants. This means that we must ! obtain more money than ever before d we are to benefit as many little ones as we have in the past. I am confident that your readers, while they are thinking of the bravo I soldiers fighting our battles in various ' parts of the world, and straining every effort on their behalf, will not overlook ! the claims of the white faced little j denizens of the slums who will be longing and hoping daily for a holiday Aus summer with the inexhaustible hope- | fulness of childhood. I Subscriptions should he sent to the Hon. Secretary, The Fresh Air bund, ‘>2o Great Portland Street London iN - 1 Ilvours faithfully, C. ARTHUR PEARSON.
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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 19, 27 April 1916, Page 2
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676THE FRESH AIR FUND. Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 19, 27 April 1916, Page 2
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