The Swansea Bay University Health Board Arts and Heritage4Health Team (SBUHB Heritage) was established in 2014 with the mission to find and protect the Health Board’s collection of medical and medical-related artefacts from the 1800s to the present day. 

Over the years, the team have faced the challenge of saving items of historical interest from all Health Board sites; major acute sites such as Morriston Hospital, Neath Port Talbot Hospital, Singleton Hospital, Princess of Wales Hospital, and Cefn Coed Hospital, as well as the smaller community properties…and our collection is still growing. 

The Cefn Coed Remembered exhibition has been our biggest undertaking yet! The team were galvanised into action when the intention became clear to decommission the old hospital in its entirety. We faced the daunting task of preserving as much as the hospital as we could, before the vacated and locked areas deteriorated. 

Over a two year period we researched; the history of the hospital, its architectural features (from its grand design down to the door knobs), intriguing artefacts, the progress in medical treatment, the origins of patient artwork and illuminating staff oral histories. 

It is with grateful thanks to all involved who helped the SBUHB Heritage Team pull all the work together to create the exhibition at Swansea Museum in January 2019. 

The core team consists of:-

Martin Thomas – Heritage Lead.

Rebecca Kelly – Heritage Assistant

Fiona Edwards – Volunteer/Arts and Heritage in Health Facilitator

Contributors without whom we could not have achieved it:-

This exhibition was made possible through the contribution of many individuals, organisations and institutions. It is a testament to Cefn Coed Hospital that ABMU Heritage Team received such an enthusiastic response. Over 100 people came forward to volunteer their time, contributing their expertise, materials and memories to create an enduring legacy for Cefn Coed. 

To the Heritage Lottery Fund and all our partners, for everything you have done to help make this exhibition possible and for becoming part of its legacy,

Building

Celebration/Launch