Lockdown Stories To Make History

Islanders can contribute to a new project by sharing their stories and experiences about COVID-19.

This Thursday (30 March) marks three years since Jersey was plunged into its first lockdown after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared.

Jersey Heritage is asking islanders to help with a new project about the first lockdown and the coronavirus pandemic.

Stuart Nicolle, Jersey Heritage’s Senior Archivist, says Jersey has seen a period of massive change and disruption since the global pandemic began.

"Three years on from the initial lockdown in Jersey, we felt it was an appropriate time to ask people to be interviewed about their Covid experience, while it is still relatively fresh in their memory."

The aim is to record stories, experiences and how COVID-19 affected people's lives for future generations.

All of the stories collated will be kept at Jersey Archive with other digital records that will tell different chapters of our island's story.

"By recording these memories, we will be creating an oral history resource for future generations, who will be able to appreciate what Islanders went through during this turbulent time."

The archive wants to know how it felt going into the first lockdown and the impact it had on Jersey and the community.

Stuart says everyone had different issues to deal with when Covid-19 hit the community.

" Our aim is to capture a variety of experiences of this time, whether we’re speaking to a health care professional, someone who had to home school their children, a family who needed to protect a vulnerable relative or any other experience of the lockdown in Jersey."

It follows a similar project that was launched in 2020 shortly after the first lockdown started called 'Documenting Coronavirus (COVID-19)'.

The organisation invited all islanders to participate by phoning 833 300 or emailing [email protected] to get in touch with the team.