Mark Bostridge at the erection of a statue to Mary Seacole at St Thomas' Hospital in London. In interviews Bostridge explained that he was not opposed to a statue to Seacole but to the siting of it at the hospital where Florence Nightingale founded her nurse training school in 1860, influencing the development of nursing throughout the world. Bostridge argues that Seacole was not a "pioneer nurse" as some of the statue campaigners maintain. He also points to the way in which Nightingale's enormous contributions to public health are now commonly and mistakenly attributed to Seacole by a wide range of British
Florence Nightingale Foundation The Florence Nightingale Foundation annual conference is a developmental conference for all nurses, midwives and healthcare professionals across all aspects of healthcare delivery. The event includes masterclasses, lectures, and networking, and hosts national and international speakers. A Commemoration Service is held in May of each year to celebrate Florence Nightingale. It is an opportunity to honour Florence on her birthday, 12 May, and to celebrate International Nurses Day. Central to the service is the Lamp which was given to the Foundation by Sir Dan Mason OBE in 1968 in memory of his mother Kathleen Dampier-Bennett, a Trustee and supporter of