The Diary Project was started to capture the experiences of u3a members living through an unprecedented period due to the coronavirus. The situation impacted on people in lots of different ways, and we wanted to hear your experiences, thoughts and reflections on how it affected you, both on a practical and on a psychological level. 

The Diary Project closed to submissions on 31st July, but it lives on. U3A is proud to have partnered with the Mass Observations Archive (MOA) to ensure we make the most of each valuable contribution. The MOA has stored each diary entry and made them available publicly to researchers and future historians looking to learn and write about these times using real life accounts. You may be aware of the MOA from the social research they conducted from 1937 – 1950, capturing the thoughts and opinions of those who lived during WW2, so it is very special that U3A members had the opportunity to add their words to such an important database.

We will also be showcasing a selection of extracts in a book. Chapters to be included in the book are; Family, Food, Health, Occupations, Society, Nature and Future. The aim is to show how the pandemic has affected 3rd Agers across the 4 months of lockdown.

Many thanks for sharing your stories with us. 

You can read submissions to the diary project in our Learning blog – Sources Online – and using the liks below: