The launch event on Monday 21 July 2008 will include a live oral history demonstration from a former hospital patient and an exhibition on the history of Queen Mary’s Hospital. It will also be a joint NHS 60 celebration and a chance for guests to reflect on the major developments which have taken place over the last 60 years, as well as pay tribute to the NHS staff and volunteers who helped shape the service.

The Oral History Project is a three-year scheme to help preserve the memories of staff and patients who were part of the hospital’s developments and advances between 1945 and 2000. Contributors will record their experiences as oral histories so that they can share their memories with a wider audience and help bring the hospital’s history to life. The project was recently awarded a £41,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund which will mean that the organisers can buy the necessary recording and touch-screen audio equipment. The recordings will be used in exhibitions at local museums, libraries and schools, and in displays at Queen Mary's Hospital.

Gordon Jones, Oral History Project organiser, said “This launch event is a great way of letting people know more about the Oral History Project. Having a live oral history recording will be a really interesting way of helping guests understand what an oral history is and showing how oral histories will enhance the archives Queen Mary’s Hospital. After working on this project for so long, it’s great to see all the work of the Queen Mary’s Hospital Archive Group come to fruition.”

July 10, 2008