The pandemic affected every single person in the UK and, in many cases, continues to have a lasting impact on lives. Every one of our experiences is unique and this is your opportunity to share with the Inquiry the impact it had on you, your life, and the other people around you.
You can share as much or as little information as you feel able. We understand that reliving some of your experiences may be difficult. You can start it now, and come back to finish it when you feel ready. Emotional support is available if you feel this would be helpful.
I’ve shared my story because…
Cathy, owner of a gift shop, talks about her experience running a small business through the pandemic.
Why should I share my experience?
Your experience matters and every story is unique. Every story shared will help us learn lessons that could make a difference to someone in the future.
You can share as much or as little information as you feel able. We understand it can be hard to tell your story. You can start the form, save your progress and come back to finish it when you feel ready.
What happens after I’ve shared my experience?
Every story shared will help the UK Covid-19 Inquiry understand the full impact of the pandemic. Your experiences and learnings are fed into the Inquiry’s investigations as evidence and brought together to create a record of the pandemic and recommendations and protect future generations.
Your stories will be collated, analysed, and fed into the Inquiry’s investigations through summary reports. Whatever information you choose to share will be protected in line with legal requirements, which means any details that could identify you will be removed before analysis and publication.
The animation below shows how your story will help inform the UK Covid-19 Inquiry recommendations.
Support
Help is available if you need it
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry offers access to Hestia – a company with qualified counsellors to provide confidential emotional support by phone or video call. You can talk to them if you have difficult or strong feelings before, during, or after sharing your experience. If you’ve started to share your experience with us and you are finding it is bringing up strong feelings, you can pause and contact Hestia for support. You can also arrange to receive a follow up call with a counsellor if you have shared your experience but would like to talk about the feelings it brought up or the impact on your well-being.
You can refer yourself to the service by sharing your name and contact details with Hestia by:
- calling 0800 2465617 or
- emailing: covid19inquiry.support@hestia.org
Someone will return your call within 48 hours to arrange a support session.
This is not a crisis service so if you feel you cannot keep yourself safe, please contact 111 and select option 2 to speak with a healthcare professional.
You can visit our support page for more information on Hestia and on alternative support organisations which may be more suitable for you.
Who can share their experience?
Listening to children
You must be aged 18 or over to use this form.
The inquiry understands the importance of listening directly to young people, to hear their experience of the pandemic and the impact it has had on them. A bespoke research project is collecting experiences from children and young people under 18. The results of this will work alongside the stories shared via Every Story Matters to inform the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations.
You can follow our progress by signing up for our newsletter or following our social channels.
What have people said so far?
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has published the first record of what it has heard through Every Story Matters. This first record focuses on people’s experiences of the United Kingdom’s healthcare systems during the pandemic.
Easy Read
Every Story Matters is also in Easy Read format.
Accessible versions
Ask for a different format
If you need this form in another format, please tell us what you need by emailing us at contact@covid19.public-inquiry.uk. Please do not use this email address to share your experience with the Inquiry.
Or you can write to us at:
FREEPOST
UK Covid-19 Inquiry
About Every Story Matters
(with British Sign Language interpretation)
Every Story Matters near you
Every Story Matters events are a way of sharing your story with the Inquiry in person.