As part of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, tens of thousands of people shared their stories about the pandemic through the “Every Story Matters” initiative. This exercise, which was the largest public engagement initiative ever held by a UK public inquiry, has created an invaluable record of how Covid-19 affected people’s lives across the UK.
We are delighted to announce that the entire archive of experiences shared with Every Story Matters is to be made available to access through the UK Data Service. This will allow accredited researchers to be granted restricted access in a secure and controlled virtual environment, for research purposes only.
Every Story Matters
In total, the archive includes around 58,000 experiences. Responses were gathered online, at public events, and through interviews and focus groups. The Inquiry has published a series of Every Story Matters records that have been submitted as evidence during hearings and have supported the Chair of the Inquiry, Baroness Hallett, in making recommendations.
Ben Connah, Secretary to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, said: “We want every story submitted to the Inquiry to have as much of an impact as possible. Working with the UK Data Service to share our archive means these stories – a real-life record of life during the pandemic – will continue to make a difference for future generations, even after the Inquiry’s recommendations have been implemented.
“This is a major milestone for Every Story Matters – the largest listening exercise ever conducted by a UK public Inquiry. I am delighted that the UK Data Service has recognised how important the pandemic experiences shared through Every Story Matters are. I trust that these stories will be of value to researchers following the Inquiry’s closure. I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to contribute their story and participate in this historically significant work.”
Maureen Haaker, the Data Producer Support Lead (Qualitative data) for the UK Data Service, said:
“These powerful testimonies capture the lived experiences of people across the country during an unprecedented moment in our history. By archiving them, we are ensuring that these voices will not be lost to time, but will continue to inform research, understanding and public dialogue for generations to come.”
More information
Once the Every Story Matters archive is available, users will be able to access it through our data catalogue. In line with legal requirements, the archive will also be transferred to The National Archives at the end of the Inquiry. After being held in a “closed state” for 100 years, the records will be made publicly accessible in their original, unredacted form as part of the official public record.
“This collection transforms individual experiences into a lasting national record. In doing so, it expands the impact of every contribution and ensures that people’s stories help shape the history that is written about this period.”