At Our Pace: A Blog Space for Young People Living with Long Covid

Why We Created At Our Pace

At Our Pace is a project created to offer young people living with Long Covid and overlapping illnesses a supportive space to reflect, share, and contribute in ways that work for them.

Many young people want to do something meaningful, to write, reflect, build confidence, or contribute to something that matters - but need opportunities that are flexible and understanding of changing health. At the same time, there are very few resources created by young people with lived experience that others can recognise themselves in and learn from.

This project was designed with that in mind.

What Is At Our Pace?

At Our Pace is a youth-led blog series based on lived experience. The blogs are meant to do more than tell individual stories. Over time, they will form a growing collection of resources that young people can read, return to, and use, whether to feel less alone, better understand their own experiences, or help explain Long Covid and overlapping illnesses to others.

Taking part might involve reflecting on daily life with illness, sharing experiences of school, college, work, friendships, or identity, or writing about coping strategies, hopes, frustrations, or questions. There is no right or wrong way to contribute, and no expectation to write in a particular style.

How It Works

There are no fixed deadlines, no pressure to be positive or inspiring, and no requirement to share more than feels comfortable. We understand that energy and health can change from day to day.

Alongside this flexibility, there is a supportive structure in place to help you learn new sills and shape and complete your blog. This includes guidance, check-ins, and realistic timelines, so you are supported throughout the process while everything still happens at your pace.

(Check out the Educational Toolkit for information and ideas for flexible and hybrid learning ideas and share it with your teacher or tutor)

Project Aims

By supporting young people with Long Covid and overlapping illnesses to share their lived experiences through writing, the project aims to:

• build confidence and a sense of purpose

• reduce isolation and help young people feel less alone

• create a growing set of resources other young people can return to

• ensure young voices are visible in conversations about Long Covid and overlapping illnesses

Thank You to Our Funders

For contributors whose blogs are published, voucher incentives are offered in recognition of the time, effort, and energy involved.

This is made possible thanks to generous support from our community and match funding through the Big Give Christmas Challenge, which also enables us to provide the practical support needed to help young people complete and publish their blogs.

How To Get Involved

While we may not be able to publish every submission, all blog ideas and expressions of interest are thoughtfully considered. If you’re a young person thinking about getting involved, your questions and blog suggestions are warmly welcomed.

Please email: info@longcovidkids.org to start the conversation and learn more about this opportunity.

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