A RETIRED Nightingale nurse lost her badge on the way to Florence Nightingale's grave for the 114th anniversary of her death.

Sarah Holmes MBE, from Poole, has been left upset after she lost her Nightingale badge given to her in 1986 after she finished her training.

Sarah believes she dropped the badge in John Lewis in Poole or in the car park. 

Now she has appealed for help to find the badge which holds a huge sentimental value to her.

She said: "The badges were last presented in 1992 when the Nightingale School was closed and I was presented mine in 1986. It is engraved with the year and my maiden name, Briggs, on the back.

"I let John Lewis know so hopefully if it did get handed in, they would let me know but I had to hope somebody would pick it up and think it was a trinket but no luck so far."

A group of Nightingale nurses, including Sarah, attended the graveside service at St Margaret's Church in East Wellow on August 13 to remember Florence who is regarded as the founder of modern nursing. 

Alongside the graveside service, Sarah and the nurses were invited to Florence's family home in Embley Park which has served as a school since 1946. 

Sarah said: "The Nightingale Foundation presented one of these badges to the school which is nice because they have the Nightingale rooms.

"This badge and the whole fellowship is something you come to later and start to appreciate.

"A lot of other nurses didn't join it but those who are still going say weren't we lucky to be there. It was all very special."

Since Sarah posted about the missing badge on social media platform X, the post has received more than 20,000 views and been retweeted 735 times.

Blown away by the response, she has thanked those who have tried to help her get the badge back. 

She said: "I just did one tweet because someone you think things might appear, you never know and 20,000 people have it. 

"So many people kindly retweeted it and people were coming up with all sorts of ideas. I'm not hopeful but it was just something very special to be proud of."