More than a COVID-19 response: Sustaining mutual aid groups during and beyond the pandemic

Abstract

Mutual aid groups have been an indispensable part of the public response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have provided many forms of support, in particular grocery shopping which has enabled people to self-isolate if required. While community solidarity during emergencies and disasters is common, previous studies have shown that such solidarity behaviours tend to decline over time, even when needs remain high. In this study, we address how mutual aid groups can be sustained over time in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted 32 interviews with organisers of COVID-19 mutual aid and community support groups in the UK between September 2020 and January 2021. Our reflexive thematic analysis shows that several community and group level experiences and strategies were related to sustained participation in COVID-19 mutual aid groups. Meeting community needs over time with localised action and resources and building trust and community-based alliances were foundational elements in the COVID-19 mutual aid groups. Group processes strategies, such as a culture of care and support or regular group meetings, were key strategies that helped to sustain involvement. The experiences resulting from participation in COVID-19 mutual aid groups were also related to sustained participation, as they led to positive emotions (e.g., joy, pride), well-being and efficacy. Finally, participation in COVID-19 mutual aid was also related to an increasing sense of local community belonging and cohesion. Based on these findings, we propose four practical recommendations for sustaining mutual aid groups in order to assist public engagement with protective behaviours in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. We recommend providing practical and financial support to COVID-19 mutual aid groups; to mobilise the knowledge and the experiences acquired by COVID-19 mutual aid groups for developing programmes and interventions for addressing the medium and long-term impacts of COVID-19; to prioritise community-level interventions; and to recognise the role of group processes as they have the potential to lead to long-term community responses. These approaches will be key for ensuring that communities effectively recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staying ‘Covid‐safe’: Proposals for embedding behaviours that protect against Covid‐19 transmission in the UK

“…5. Provide practical support and resources to ensure the sustainability of Mutual Aid groups, which provide multiple forms of practical support to those in the community, from delivering food, providing emotional support, to walking the dog (Fernandes‐Jesus et al., 2021 ).…”

“…However, it is very difficult for such groups to sustain themselves over an extended period of time. The Government can play an important part in scaffolding such self‐organization by, for instance, providing resources and providing payment for volunteers (Fernandes‐Jesus et al., 2021 ). There are successful examples of this in the UK’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Community Champions scheme that has operated through two mechanisms.…”

How do people support each other in emergencies? A qualitative exploration of altruistic and prosocial behaviours during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Therefore, one can say that community‐based support arose during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and volunteers were one of the main actors who took the responsibility of helping. Recent research has shown that mutual aid groups were very productive during the COVID‐19 pandemic in terms of meeting community needs more strategically and systematically (Fernandes‐Jesus et al., 2021 ; Stansfeld et al., 2020 ). However, we also found that individual volunteers can also take steps to help their community members when there is an emergency.…”

“…Subcategory 1-organizations/associations/faith communities Because local and social healthcare services were overwhelmed throughout the pandemic, not all community members could be supported by those services (Stevenson et al, 2020). Therefore, COVID-19 mutual-aid groups (Fernandes-Jesus et al, 2021), neighborhood associations, and community support groups arose to meet the needs of their community members. As the members and volunteers of community aid and support groups are mainly the community members, they are already familiar with the needs and the strengths of their own community, and it is easier for these groups (including faith communities) to assist their community members and neighbors.…”

“…Besides formal volunteers who work with associations and organizations, informal volunteers might also help those in need. As previous research has also recommended (Bowe et al, 2020(Bowe et al, , 2021Drury et al, 2021;Fernandes-Jesus et al, 2021), authorities and policymakers need to collaborate with community mutual aid and volunteer groups while creating any safety guidelines. Because community groups are often considered community members (like ingroup members), adherence to emergency safety guidelines can be more acceptable if the message comes from those who share the same identity with the community (Templeton et al, 2020).…”