Page 591 - Reading Mercury

Messrs G.R. Frift, G. Hand, M. Norris and H. Powell (of the Wokingham Hospital
Committee) acted as stewards.
THE MAYOR’S WELCOME
The Mayor said he had the honour to welcome Mr. Benyon to Wokingham, and that
in a dual capacity, first as Lord Lieutenant of the County of Berkshire—the
representative of H.M. the King (applause)—and secondly as the highest
administrator of the Royal Berkshire Hospital under his Majesty, who is its president.
He felt it a great honour that Mr. Benyon had come personally to accept at their hands
the fruits of the labours of the Wokingham Hospital Committee. Mr. Benyon had been
president of the Royal Berkshire Hospital for 24 years. (Applause). Not only that but
his family had always from the very beginning, about 75 years ago, interested
themselves in the work of the hospital.
He called on Alderman Priest to give them an account of the work of the Hospital
Committee.
Alderman Priest said they had seen that Sunday described as “an important day” in
Wokingham. They who had followed the work of the Hospital Committee in
Wokingham knew just what that meant. Their meeting that day successfully proved it
an important one, and further proved that volunteer effort for good was still going
strong, and in few places stronger than in Wokingham. (Hear, hear, and applause). He
had been entrusted with a very great privilege and honour, for it was his very great
pleasure, on behalf of the citizens of Wokingham, to ask their Lord Lieutenant, who
was also president of the Royal Berkshire Hospital to receive from them the
endowment of their Wokingham bed. They were glad to have him there to accept their
tribute of thanksgiving. It was with a peculiar sense of thankfulness they were met
that day, knowing that their efforts had been successful. Many interesting events had
taken place in their Town Hall, but never one similar to the present. Everyone present
would like to know that other districts would try to emulate Wokingham’s example.
(Applause). What Wokingham had accomplished, others could, and no more worthy
purpose could be served than doing all in their power to assist in helping sickness and
suffering. It might, perhaps, be said of other districts that they had their own hospitals
to attend to, but he would remind those who said that they in Wokingham had their
own War Memorial Clinic, and all knew how very successfully that had been carried
on. (Applause).
EFFICIENT HOSPITAL COMMITTEE NECESSARY.
So other places could accomplish what Wokingham had done. The centre of such
work was a good and efficient Hospital Committee such as they had in Wokingham.
He had the privilege of being associated with them for the past four years, as
president, to work with them and to see the work they were doing. He knew how
devoted they were to that work, year in, year out, and in all weathers. Some of them
had grown old in that service, but age had not interfered with their efficiency, and
they had kept going right up to the present time. In addition, they had not allowed any
special efforts to interfere, in any way, with their ordinary activities on behalf of the
Royal Berkshire Hospital. He expressed the grateful thanks of the committee to “all
our citizens who have come along so generously to help us in our efforts, from the
widow’s mite and the child’s farthing to the more substantial cheques and notes.”
(Hear, hear and applause).
The fund was started when, some five years ago, one evening at a meeting of the
Town Council, a letter was read from the local Hospital Committee asking permission
to put outside the Town Hall a box for the collection of tin foil and farthings. That
formed the foundation of what had grown to be the endowed bed in the Royal

589