Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to important questions about Covid-19.

UPDATE: Can we continue mutual aid in the lockdown?

Advice for Local Groups: Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK statement on the lockdown: 24 March 2020

Mutual aid groups will continue to provide an important lifeline to our communities during the UK lockdown, and will pose no additional risk, as long as we act safely and sensibly, within its parameters.

The government has specifically stated that those of us who are leaving the house “to provide care or help to a vulnerable person” will be allowed to carry on. On this basis, we are presuming that mutual aid groups will be allowed to carry on providing vital support to people in self-isolation or quarantine. Groups should continue to follow the guidance to ensure you do not put yourself or others at risk in carrying out this support, but otherwise we would encourage groups to continue as before. 

The new rules on reduced trips means that people should carry out multiple errands at once to avoid excessive trips outside, such as doing your shopping at the same time as you shop for other people, or shopping for more than one person at the same time.

This decision is going to increase the anxiety and isolation being experienced across the UK. So offering phone calls and online support to people requesting help is going to be even more important than before.

We want to prioritise the safety of everyone in our communities, and we take seriously potential impacts increased policing may have, particularly on black and brown people who were already more likely to be stopped and searched. We need to make sure that these new rules are not going to be disproportionate or discriminate, especially towards communities that already have experience of being victimised by the police.

We’ve already begun to show the world the incredible impact that something as simple as looking out for your neighbours can have in the face of coronavirus. As the situation develops, we look forward to continuing the work of building this network of local groups, and providing care and compassion in our communities.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK pages, and any local groups, are run by volunteers and not medical professionals, and therefore we are not qualified to give advice regarding symptoms or treatment of illness. Please visit the NHS website for details of the corona virus and relevant medical advice.

Should I be self-isolating?

Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK pages, and any local groups, are run by volunteers and not medical professionals, and therefore we are not in a position to give advice on who should be self-isolating. Please visit the NHS website for details of the coronavirus and relevant medical advice.

We do recommend that everyone listen to government advice surrounding social distancing and limiting non essential contact with others. For everyone looking to support their communities, this is an important first step which will literally save lives.

I am vulnerable or self-isolating, how can I request help?

If you’re a person in need of assistance, we recommend finding your local group here on our website or on mutual aid wiki​.

If you can’t find a local group or have trouble accessing the spreadsheet, you can contact us and we will do our best to connect you with someone.

Who are Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK?

Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK are a group of volunteers aiming to support the network of local community groups organising to support people through the coronavirus pandemic. We are not in charge of this network and have no say over what local groups do. We exist merely to provide resources that will help them flourish.

Is Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK registered as or affiliated with a religious organisation, charity or political group?

We are not an organisation or charity and local groups are not officially affiliated with us. We are not affiliated to any political or religious groups, though we are united by a belief that social exclusion increases individual and community vulnerability. 

Do you work with the government, local authorities, the police etc?

Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK does not directly work with:

  • The police
  • Councils and local authorities
  • Political parties
  • NGOs
  • Government bodies or departments, including the Home Office. 

We encourage all local mutual aid groups to maintain their independence and to not work directly with any member of the above list, as doing so may prevent vulnerable people from accessing your support.

What does ‘mutual aid’ mean?

Mutual aid is where a group of people organise to meet their own needs, outside of the formal frameworks of charities, NGOs and government. It is, by definition, a horizontal mode of organising, in which all individuals are equally powerful. There are no ‘leaders’ or unelected ‘steering committees’ in mutual aid projects; there is only a group of people who work together as equals. 

Mutual aid isn’t about “saving” anyone; it’s about people coming together, in a spirit of solidarity, to support and look out for one another.

What is a mutual aid group?

A mutual aid group is a volunteer lead initiative where groups of people in a particular area join together to support one another, meeting vital community needs without the help of official bodies. They do so in a way that prioritises those who are most vulnerable or otherwise unable to access help through regular channels. 

Individual, local mutual aid groups are not directly affiliated with Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK or any other official body.

Is there a local group near me?

Local groups are listed here on our website or on mutual aid wiki to view in fullscreen.

How do I set up a local group?

The best way to set up a local group is to think about the support needed in your immediate local environment, rather than trying to organise on a larger scale. We recommend that you act really locally, for example just on your street or apartment block and surrounding area. Many groups have set up in this format and are communicating over the phone or via WhatsApp chat. City or region-wide WhatsApp and Facebook groups can help to connect you with people who live near you, but are not necessarily the most effective way to organise and provide support to those who need it. 

If you are working in a bigger area than just your street, before setting up your local group remember that there will be existing community projects and support services in your area that will be working hard in response to the crisis. We recommend reaching out and listening to the needs and wisdom of these projects and services rather than trying to start from scratch.

Further advice and resources for setting up local groups are here.

How big should my local group be?

The most effective local organising is being done on a street by street basis. We recommend keeping support as local as possible to maximise safety and community spirit whilst also limiting any potential admin and data storage issues, as well as making safeguarding much easier. 

Larger Facebook or WhatsApp groups might be useful for sharing advice and best practise, but shouldn’t centralise coordination of whole areas.

If you have a big volunteer basis in your group, we recommend reaching out and listening to the needs and wisdom of existing projects and services in your area such as food banks, homeless solidarity networks and care services, rather than trying to start from scratch.

Do I need to speak to you before setting up a local group?

Absolutely not. Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK is here as a support service to the local groups who are setting up, but groups are very much independent. We recommend that one member of each local group joins the Facebook group we’ve set up to support the organisation of local groups and to share information, which can be found here. 

If you do create a local group and would like us to promote it, you can register it here. 

Whilst you don’t need to speak with us, we do recommend taking time to speak to existing community projects and support services in your area to see if you can support the existing work they are already doing.

How do I safeguard the people I am supporting?

All local groups should read through this guide to safeguarding for mutual aid groups produced from by the National Food Service.

How do I do leafleting and support work safely?

You can check out guidance for leafleting and supporting safely here.

I don’t use Facebook or WhatsApp, how can I help?

If you don’t use Facebook or Whatsapp but want to support your local community, we recommend very localised organising on your street as this can be most effective. 

You can use these template leaflet here or here to get in touch or simply pop a hand-written note through the door. Just make sure you’re following safety guidance.

There are also existing community projects and support services in your area that will be working to provide frontline support in the pandemic. We recommend reaching out to them to see how you can support.

My group has more than 50 volunteers, how should we manage them?

We’ve heard reports of hundreds or thousands of people joining local groups which is really incredible. Groups of this size, however, might also be hard to manage and create unnecessary centralised admin and data storage concerns rather than prioritising support on the ground.

Once your group is at this size we recommend splitting groups down into smaller areas as the most effective organising is being done street by street, both to limit the spread of infection and build a sense of local community. 

If you have a big volunteer basis in your group, we recommend reaching out and listening to the needs and wisdom of existing projects and services in your area such as food banks, homeless solidarity networks and care services, and direct the extra capacity towards them.

How do we store personal data safely?

Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK does not store any personal data. 

We recommend local groups read this brief introduction to data protection. and adhere to the following general principles:

  • Store as little personal data as possible and making sure you’re not sharing any local data. 
  • Avoid data storage by linking support requests directly with people willing to support. This removes the need for admin and any chance of dangerous data storage. 
  • It is especially important to not store data of vulnerable people anywhere that can be accessed online. This is especially important to protect victims of domestic abuse, those with precarious migrant status and other at risk groups. 
  • You must NOT share any personal data with other organisations or institutions, including charities, journalists, government bodies or your local council. 
  • Any spreadsheets must be password protected and saved on a secure cloud storage service (such as Google Drive), or a password-protected laptop or PC.

How should I handle money?

We strongly encourage volunteers not to accept credit/debit cards from people asking for help in order to buy resources on their behalf as this is a safeguarding risk.

To reduce the risk of fraud, we recommend that wherever possible you do your shopping and come back with a receipt before asking for money from people in self-isolation. We also recommend that volunteers not make purchases larger than £30 for any one person or family in self-isolation.

You should keep a central record of any payments made. There should also be a central record of any concerns raised in respect of payments, and make people aware of how they can raise a concern.

Where possible payments should be made by bank transfer or paypal to minimise the risk of passing on the virus, but if that’s not possible then you can disinfect any cash you receive using soapy water.

You should also:

  • Ask them to give you a shopping list via phone call or text message before you go to the shop.
  • Agree whether or not they will accept substitutions.
  • Ask if they have any allergies or dietary requirements.

Can we provide childcare?

For safeguarding reasons, we strongly recommend that local mutual aid groups do not offer to provide childcare. Anyone needing support in this area should be encouraged to contact existing support services or use their personal networks

Is there funding available?

Currently Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK is a volunteer page and does not bring in or provide funding. 

If your group is looking to generate funds for your support activities, we recommend using pages like Crowdfunder to do so. However, before doing so please read the safeguiding guide.

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