To mark the 150 anniversary of the Stroud General Hospital, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust and the Stroud Hospitals League of Friends are holding a series of events and activities, including a celebratory service on Sunday 6th July at 3pm at the nearby Holy Trinity Church.
The community hospital was moved to the current site in 1875 and provides Stroud and the surrounding area with inpatient and outpatient services, a minor injuries and illness unit, x-ray and ultrasound services, occupational therapy and physiotherapy support.
In the build up to the event, the local community, colleagues across the site, as well as patients will be encouraged to get involved in the celebrations as Matron of Stroud and Vale Community Hospitals Liz Lovett explains:
“We’re starting off with the church service, then we’re looking at a few different activities over the anniversary year such as a picture competition with local schools, a cake competition, taking some photographs of colleagues and teams within the hospitals and celebrating the history behind the 150 years of the Hospital. We want to include our local community and to really celebrate the great things we are doing and our links with the League of Friends and our partner organisations across the county. I love working here and am really proud of my colleagues and the incredible service we provide to Stroud and our local community, so this is an opportunity to thank everyone who has made Stroud General Hospital what it is today.”
Stroud Hospitals League of Friends is a registered charity which supports the site with equipment which would not otherwise be available on the NHS.
Chair of Stroud Hospitals League of Friends Margaret Greaves:
“It’s really exciting to mark the 150 anniversary of Stroud General Hospital on this present site and to launch a series of activities to celebrate, we’re having a service at the Holy Trinity Church. Everybody considers the Holy Trinity to be the hospital’s church and vice versa, so it is fitting to mark the event there. The League of Friends has been in place since 1948 and we know that the hospital is so much in the hearts of the local community. We hope that everybody, regardless of faith or background, will really join us in celebrating that the site has been here, supporting the community for 150 years, and hope to continue to work together to build upon that for 150 more years.”
About the celebration service
Hospital colleagues past and present are invited to join the celebratory service either in person, or for those working at the hospital, the League of Friends has arranged for the service to be live-streamed.
The service will be attended by the League of Friends, Bishop Rachel Treweek, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust Chair Graham Russell and many more. As there will be a limited amount of space, if anyone would like to join the celebration on the day, they’re asked to email: info@stroudleagueoffriends.org
Rector for the Stroud Team Ministry, Rev James Turk:
“As Rector of Stroud and priest at Holy Trinity Church, it’s a real privilege to mark 150 years of Stroud General Hospital — a place that has served our community with care, compassion and commitment through generations.
“Holy Trinity, standing just next door, has long been a quiet companion to the hospital — a place where people have come to pray, reflect, and seek solace during times of worry and waiting. Though unofficial, it has often felt like the hospital’s chapel, a still point in the midst of uncertainty.
“In this 150th year of Stroud Hospital we look back with deep gratitude — for the lives healed, the dedication of staff, and the community’s support. But we also look forward, praying for continued strength and wisdom for all who work there, and for the ongoing partnership between faith, care, and community in this town we love”.
Getting involved!
There are many historic photos on display across the site, providing a window into the past and an opportunity to see the faces of those who have worked on the site over the years. One such photograph is on display in a meeting room at the heart of the site (see right). It is a black and white photo of nine nurses in what appears to be the fifties or sixties. The team would love to find out more about those photographed. If anyone recognises anyone in the photo, we’d love for them to get in touch. In addition, if there are any happy memories of working at, or being treated at Stroud General Hospital, we’d love to share them widely as part of the celebrations over the coming year. Memories and photos can be shared with: ghc.comms@ghc.nhs.uk
History of the site
The Stroud Local History Society has shared three articles about the origins of the hospital on their website:
www.stroudlocalhistorysociety.org.uk/research/dispensary/
www.stroudlocalhistorysociety.org.uk/research/hospital-origins/
www.stroudlocalhistorysociety.org.uk/people-places/buildings/stroud-hospital/
In addition, there is more information from 1922 on the opening of new wing of hospital:
www.stroudlocalhistorysociety.org.uk/people-places/some-items/
There is also some information about William Cowle, who originally gave the land for the current hospital:
www.stroudlocalhistorysociety.org.uk/people-places/people/cowle/
Further information
To find out more about Stroud General Hospital, visit: Stroud General Hospital > Glos Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust or email: ghc.comms@ghc.nhs.uk
For further information about the Stroud Hospitals League of Friends, visit: stroudleagueoffriends.org or email Julie Prosser on: info@stroudleagueoffriends.org
