How one man helped people through the confusion of lockdown
DO YOU remember watching the television and seeing the news that we were going into lockdown?
That was March 2020 – and from that point, Covid-19 turned our world upside down.
Some isolated alone, some bubbled with family and friends.
Appointments were cancelled, holidays put on hold, relationships tested and our mental and physical wellbeing suffered: it was a strange, scary time.
Yet there was also the kindness of strangers who rallied round.
Everyone has a story to tell from those days, and the UK Covid-19 Inquiry needs you to share yours.
The inquiry’s investigations are independent and impartial, setting out to uncover people’s experiences of the pandemic and what lessons can be learnt.
Everybody’s story matters. And not just the heartbreaking stories about the virus itself – there were huge financial impacts on individuals right across the UK, with people facing loss of income, less business or increased supply costs.
‘I knew there were people out there who wouldn’t have a clue what to do’
One person who knows first hand how the pandemic impacted people financially is Mahmood Reza, 61, from Leicester.
He runs an accounting firm and wanted to share with the inquiry his experience of staying open to help with all things Covid-related, including grants and furlough, as people worried about their livelihoods and whether they would keep their jobs.
“I remember listening to Rishi Sunak announcing the furlough scheme and thinking there would be a lot of my clients and other people out there who haven’t got a clue what to do.
“So we stayed open and communicated with businesses – and not just our clients. If it had money attached, we broke it down. It was a stressful, challenging landscape.
“I would live-stream and present videos to make sure people were aware of the rules.
“There was the furlough scheme, plus self-employed grants, and then lockdown grants for hospitality firms.
“I was helping people with their applications, checking their viability and seeing what they were entitled to.
“A lot of my team took a short period of time off but the majority just wanted to turn up at work and do what they could do.
We came into the office and we followed all the guidance about distancing.
“I was working ridiculous hours but it gave me a purpose.
“Resilience was so important. You may not be able to change what goes on around you but you can change how you deal with it.
“That’s a lesson I learned from how my clients got through it at the sharp end.”
HAVE YOUR SAY
No matter how the pandemic affected you, the UK Covid-19 Inquiry wants to hear about your experiences
Search: Every Story Matters