Llandaff Cathedral is dedicating its Lent Appeal this year to a maternity hospital going back to the Victorian era.

Bollobhpur Hospital in Bangladesh provides medical services and community care to people living close to the border with India.

The hospital is run by the Church of Bangladesh and has 30 beds.

Women are also able to receive training in nursing and midwifery at the hospital.

The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan paid a visit to the hospital during a trip to Bangladesh last year.

There is an additional connection as Llandaff Diocese is twinned with the Church of Bangladesh.

The Archbishop said Bollobhpur Hospital was making a massive difference to the community.

He praised the way in which staff were serving the community despite the basic facilities at the hospital, where the beds being used today are the same as over a century ago.

"We may sometimes think equipment in the NHS in Wales is out-of-date but at least we have seen several generations of beds over the past 100 years – it's something we take for granted," said Dr Morgan.

"That is not the case in Bollobhpur, however, where medical staff are struggling to cope with basic equipment which is no longer fit for purpose. I was amazed to see beds which were so old and cumbersome still being used.

"However, prioritising care for the most vulnerable in society, the new born child, is something both cultures have in common. It is our hope that this Lent through prayer and generosity we may show the love of Christ to our partner Church in Bangladesh and help those served by the hospital."