Mutual Aid in north London during the Covid-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Between March and June 2020, residents in north London faced the Covid-19 pandemic by creating neighbourhood Mutual Aid groups on WhatsApp and Facebook. These groups not only addressed basic survival needs such as bringing groceries and medicines to infected people, the elderly, and other vulnerable populations in quarantine; they also offered opportunities for social interactions between strangers living in the same neighbourhood during lockdown. Their success was linked to their rapid mobilization, adaptability and local knowledge. A study of their meso-level organization on Facebook shows that we should pay attention to the potential for mobilization of these grassroots structures. Their bottom-up organization, based on the principle ‘Solidarity not Charity’, showed a singular way to express dissent with policy response to the pandemic, and brought them closer to the horizontal social movements of the 2010s.

KEYWORDS:

• Covid-19 pandemic
• horizontality
• mutual aid
• social media
• social movement

Disclosure statement

The author was a member of one of the Mutual Aid local groups between March and June 2020. However, only data that was publicly available to non-members is presented in this profile.

Notes

1. The eight Mutual Aid groups gathered some 31,000 members on Facebook by 22 May. Facebook-related data presented in this article was retrieved from the public profiles of the Facebook groups, i.e. as they appear to non-members. Lists of ward groups can be found on the map ‘Covid-19 Support Services/Groups’ produced by Andy Jeffrey with local (Haringey based) community group Coffee & Computers. Retrieved 21 May 2020, from: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1_clxQT1KL4R7H1qFZa4iqDlBlHKCAEi8&ll=51.58861458985151%2C-0.2657465746017973&z=13

2. Big Door Brigade. (n.d.). About. Retrieved 12 May 2020, from https://bigdoorbrigade.com/about/

3. Big Door Brigade. (n.d.). What is mutual aid? Retrieved 12 May 2020, from https://bigdoorbrigade.com/what-is-mutual-aid/

4. Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved 12 May 2020, from https://covidmutualaid.org/faq/

5. Glanville, P. 2020. (March 25) Volunteering hub launched:A message from the Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville.. Hackney. Retrieved 20 May 2020, from https://news.hackney.gov.uk/volunteering-hub-launched/

6. Haringey Council. 2020. (March 18) Council supports Voluntary Sector on Community Enablement. Retrieved 20 May 2020, from: https://www.haringey.gov.uk/news/council-supports-voluntary-sector-community-enablement

7. See Hackney Council (n.d.). Coronavirus Support. Retrieved 21 May 2020, from: https://hackney.gov.uk/coronavirus-support and Brent Council (n.d.) Guidance Notes Covid – 19 Mutual Aid Grant. Retrieved 20 May 2020, from https://www.brent.gov.uk/media/16416296/covid-19-mutual-aid-grant-guidance-notes.pdf

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Adélie Chevée

Adélie Chevée is a Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Studies at SOAS. Her research explores the relationship between media, social movements and knowledge practices. Since this article was submitted, Chevée became a Max Weber postdoctoral Fellow at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy.