Covid-19 and Mutual Aid

The Covid-19 crisis has led to the establishment of a wide range of mutual aid networks. The Oral History Collective undertook a pilot study to understand how these groups operate, the reasons people have become involved, and their hopes for the future. This built on the themes of solidarity and self-help that emerged from our Foodbank Histories research.

Following on from their successful Foodbank Histories collaboration, this project was led by Dr Alison Atkinson-Phillips and Silvie Fisch, both original members of the Oral History Unit & Collective.

As Director of Northern Cultural Projects, and involved in mutual aid responses to Covid-19 herself, Silvie Fisch was ideally placed to co-ordinate this project, with Dr Atkinson-Phillips acting as academic lead (principle investigator). They were joined by a team including Associate Researcher Liz O'Donnell and community oral historians Rosie Serdiville and Teresa Cairns.

The Oral History Unit & Collective conducted 20 pilot interviews with people involved in Covid-19 mutual aid networks nationally. The broader aim was to create an archive of synchronous Covid-19 mutual aid responses, to form the basis of a future ‘post-crisis’ project to evaluate initial responses and retrospective perspectives, within a historical framework.  

Last modified: Sat, 23 May 2026 16:46:47 BST