STAFF, friends and members of Dorset County Hospital came together to kick off its 175th birthday celebrations.

All were welcome at the launch event for the hospital’s celebrations to mark its landmark anniversary this year.

The hospital and local partners have been working on a project to mark the occasion, entitled Dorset County Hospital: 175 Years of Rural Healthcare.

The initiative celebrates 175 years of free healthcare for the people of Dorset and has seen Arts in Hospital at Dorset County Hospital working with the Dorset History Centre and the Dorset County Museum.

The project is also being supported by a Heritage Lottery Fund Sharing Heritage grant and Dorset County Hospital charitable funds.

As well as an oral history project that will see volunteers collecting patient and staff stories, there will also be an exhibition at the hospital on the history of medical care in the county since 1840 as well as 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 project will see the stories of everyday people delivering and using healthcare services collected by volunteers trained by the Dorset History Centre.

The material will then be used by Folk South West to feed into music that will be performed in the hospital later in the year.

The public exhibition tells the story of the hospital’s architecture, Dorset’s labouring poor, the impact of war, Victorian philanthropy and medical discovery.

At the launch event there were talks from the hospital’s chairman and chief executive as well as arts manager Alex Murdin on the history of Dorset County Hospital.

Mr Murdin said:“It was great to see the hospital’s heritage come alive at the launch as so many of our friends, colleagues and members of the public came together to celebrate at our 175th birthday.

“Together we saw how far the hospital has changed through improvements to medical science and how far it remains true to the ideals of the people who founded the hospital so long ago, helping Dorset people in poor health regardless of income or background.

“We’re looking forward to building on this proud tradition over the next 175 years.”

After the talks there was an opportunity to enjoy tea and cake at Damers Restaurant and view the exhibition in Damers corridor, which will be on display until August 30.