An exhibition on the ‘rich history’ of community nursing in Britain has been given a £5,000 boost by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.
The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) is preparing a retrospective of community nursing since 1859 which will involve a new heritage website and a collection of oral histories. The Heritage Lottery grant will enable the QNI to create an accessible online resource, making their archive available to a wider audience.
Utilising its diverse archive of photographs, journals, exam papers, badges and other documentation going back to Victorian times, the QNI is looking to pull together its resources as 2017 marks their 130th anniversary.
They are in possession of a large amount of documentary material, including photographs and stories, from the early years of the National Health Service after 1948. The QNI is also gathering oral interviews with some retired Queen’s Nurses about their work and life during this period.
QNI chief executive Dr Crystal Oldman said: ‘We are delighted to have received this National Lottery funding in the QNI’s 130th anniversary year. The QNI’s strong community of working and retired Queen’s Nurses have a unique personal record about their service in people’s homes and communities.
‘This funding will enable us to share some of that information with a wider audience and encourage appreciation for the incredible work of community nurses over the years.’