THE LOCAL community is being urged to join the celebrations as Dorset County Hospital marks its 175th anniversary.
The hospital and local partners are marking the birthday with a special project called Dorset County Hospital: 175 Years of Rural Healthcare.
The project celebrates 175 years of free healthcare for the people of Dorset and has seen Arts in Hospital at Dorset County Hospital work with the Dorset History Centre and Dorset County Museum.
There has also been support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with a 'Sharing Heritage' grant, and Dorset County Hospital charitable funds.
A spokesman for the hospital said: "The project has three interconnected strands; an oral history project with volunteers collecting patient and staff stories which feed into a music project, an exhibition at Dorset County Hospital on the history of medical care in the county since 1840 and a new public ‘health and heritage’ trail for visitors and residents of Dorchester, based around the life and times of Victorian pioneer doctor Sir Frederick Treves.
"The oral history element will collect the stories of everyday people delivering and using healthcare services, including the first person to arrive at the hospital in an air ambulance and the 17 year old daughter of a surgeon helping out in 1945.
"New volunteers will be trained by the Dorset History Centre in collecting these oral histories, aided by the project historian Mark Collyer, a former NHS employee.
"Folk South West will be using this material to make new music related to local traditions which will be performed in the hospital later in the year.
"The public exhibition at the hospital will tell the story of the hospital’s architecture, Dorset’s labouring poor, the impact of war, Victorian philanthropy and medical discovery.
"The research behind the exhibition will be published in print, online and made accessible through an innovative digital health and heritage trail for the town created by a group of Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots ‘graduates’ from a previous Dorset Youth Association project."
The project will be officially launched at the hospital's education centre from 5pm on Monday, May 11.
There will be talks from the hospital's chairman and chief executive as well as arts manager Alex Murdin, who will speak about the history of Dorset County Hospital.
Following the talks there will be tea and cake on offer at Damers Restaurant and a chance to see the exhibition in the Damers corridor.
Places for the event are limited so booking is essential.
Email elizabeth.beardsall@dchft.nhs.uk or call Liz on 01305 255419.
Following the launch event the exhibition will be available to view anytime until August 30.
CONTACT ME
t: 01305 269801
e: harry.hogger@dorsetecho.co.uk
twitter: @echodorch
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