Thanks to £49,800 from National Lottery players, Eastside Community Heritage (ECH) will work with current and retired NHS staff to explore the history of Harold Wood Hospital in London, and plan their celebrations of the post-war establishment of the NHS.

Meanwhile, the Arts Assassins, South London Gallery’s young people’s forum, will be investigating the history of the Peckham Experiment, a pioneering health movement initiated in south east London 23 years before the foundation of the NHS. A £49,900 grant will facilitate the group of young people to work with a range of partners including the Pioneer Health Foundation, the Wellcome Library, the Science Gallery at King's College, and community partners Peckham Vision and the Wilderness Wood. The project, which will run until autumn 2018, will see the group work alongside a historian-in-residence, heritage experts and artists to investigate the Peckham Experiment.

[quote=Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London]“These two projects will offer a fascinating insight into the development of healthcare in the UK, and the incredible history of one of the most important institutions in this country.”[/quote]

Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London, said: “These two projects will offer a fascinating insight into the development of healthcare in the UK, and the incredible history of one of the most important institutions in this country. We are delighted that National Lottery players’ money is able to help explore these stories in more dept, and to mark the 70th anniversary next year."

Judith Garfield MBE, Director of ECH, said: “In 1948 a founding principle of the NHS was to ensure that there was a comprehensive hospital service available to everyone in need of it. The founding of the NHS was an ambitious and ground-breaking policy that changed the lives of many and is still doing the same today.”