Public invited to share pandemic experiences at UK Covid Inquiry event in Inverness
A nationwide series of community events inviting the public to share their pandemic experiences is coming to Inverness this week.
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry will visit venues in Inverness and Oban for the first time, with residents of both towns invited to share their experiences with the Inquiry in person.
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The visits are part of a series of nationwide Every Story Matters community events, in which the public will be invited to share first-hand how the pandemic affected them.
Every Story Matters, the Inquiry’s UK-wide listening exercise, is the public’s opportunity to share the impact the pandemic had on them and their life with the Inquiry, without the formality of giving evidence or attending a public hearing.
The Inquiry will visit Inverness on Tuesday September 3 at the Spectrum Centre and be in Oban at the Rockfield Centre on Wednesday September 4 and Thursday September 5.
Events at both locations start at 10am and finish at 4.30pm.
Members of the public will be able to speak to Inquiry staff to find out more about Every Story Matters and share their experience of the pandemic in a variety of different ways.
Counsellors will also be present to provide emotional support for those who may need it.
Every Story Matters will support the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s investigations by providing evidence about the human impact of the pandemic on the UK population.
This will in turn help Baroness Heather Hallett, the Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, make recommendations for the future.
Inquiry Secretary Ben Connah said: “The Inquiry must hear experiences from all corners of the country to ensure we get a full picture of the pandemic’s impact on people living and working across the UK.
“At our Every Story Matters event this week, people can come down to the Spectrum Centre in Inverness or the Rockfield Centre in Oban to have a chat with us, and I really would encourage people to come and meet us so they can inform the work we’re doing.
“People experienced the pandemic in many different ways in many different parts of the UK. No two stories are the same. That is why we are in Inverness and Oban this week, in order to hear these stories directly from the public.”
Convener of The Highland Council, Councillor Bill Lobban said: “It’s crucial that people across Highland take the opportunity to share their experiences at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry ‘Every Story Matters’ event being held in the Spectrum Centre in Inverness.
“All experiences are important as we were all affected personally. Living in an area as large as Highland – for anyone who can’t make it to the event in Inverness they can also share their story online at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry website.”
