Every Story Matters was the largest public engagement exercise ever undertaken by a UK public inquiry.
On 23 May 2025, Every Story Matters closed with over 58,000 stories and experiences shared. We are grateful to everyone who has taken the time and played a part in this historically significant work.
A thank you from the Chair of the Inquiry
Every Story Matters Records
Every story shared feeds into the Inquiry’s investigations and was brought together to create Records. These Records are submitted as formal evidence during the hearings and support the Inquiry Chair, Baroness Hallett, to make recommendations for the future.
Accessible versions
All of the Every Story Matters Records are available in Easy Read, HTML, Welsh and Audio summary.
Legacy of Every Story Matters
Every Story Matters records have already been used in hearings alongside witness testimonies and expert reports and they will continue to be used until the end of the Inquiry. They have will continue to help the Inquiry to better understand what happened during the pandemic and shape recommendations so that the UK is better prepared in the future.
The Inquiry has announced its plans to to loan the entire archive to a trusted research environment at the UK Data Service. Accredited researchers, including from government and academia, can be granted restricted access in a secure and controlled virtual environment, for research purposes only. This will ensure the testimonies collected by Every Story Matters will continue to provide valuable insight into the effects of the pandemic for generations to come.
In line with the Inquiry’s legal requirements under the Public Records Act, the Every Story Matters archive will also be transferred to The National Archives, the official archive of the United Kingdom, at the end of the Inquiry.
To protect the privacy of all those who contributed to Every Story Matters, the Inquiry is ensuring that any personally identifiable information is professionally removed. To read more about how the Inquiry is protecting contributors’ personal information please read the updated Privacy Notice.
Contributors to Every Story Matters who do not wish for their story to be made available to trusted researchers or held by The National Archives can withdraw it using their unique code and completing the Every Story Matters withdrawal form. The unique code is the eight-character mix of numbers and letters contributors received when they submitted their story. This is the only identifier by which the Inquiry is able to find and withdraw a story.
Support
We understand that reminding you of the time you shared your story with the Inquiry can bring up difficult feelings. If you find you need wellbeing support, we welcome you to access our support services webpage, where we have resources and support to guide you.