provocation offered in the Nesta Covid/Civil Society virtual conference on 21 May 2020 - #communitythursday was the hashtag the event used on twitter

1. These are NOT
‘unprecedented times’
(even in our own lifetimes…)
www.adrianashton.co.uk

3. 2020 covid-19
• Lockdown and social distancing
• Different countries taking different
approaches, conspiracy theories
• SEISS and business rates grants
missing nearly half of all enterprises
• Constantly changing dates for re-
opening of education, hospitality, etc
• Increased strain on mental health
services
2015 boxing day floods
• Communities and businesses cut off
(and no-one coming into the area for
months afterwards)
• Confusing information from multiple
sources
• Patchy government support that
excluded a lot of people
• Uncertain timelines for recovery
• Heightened stress and anxiety
The ‘new world’ (spot the difference)

4. The response (spot the difference)
2015 boxing day floods
• Facebook groups
• Mutual trading between businesses
• Local and (truly) unprecedented
crowdfunding campaigns
• Non-state grants being created
• Restaging Christmas in summer
• Gathering evidence to widen eligibility
criteria of state support
2020 covid-19
• Facebook groups
• Open credit network
• Crowdfunding campaigns for different
sectors
• Covid 19 funder database
• Festivals held on-line
• Ongoing calls for data (by everyone) to
better understand and review what’s
working and still needed

5. Be more ‘Derren Brown’…