
Coronavirus vaccine – Easy read version
You may have heard about the new coronavirus vaccines that have been produced.The vaccines will help protect you from the …

National lockdown January 2021
There is a new strain of the virus which is spreading a lot quicker. We must now all stay at …
Tier 3 rules in BSL
British sign language video about what the rules are for people living within tier 3 areas.
How we’re carrying on – Jacob’s Story
Jacob is a member of the Hear Our Voice Wednesday group. Here is the story of how the pandemic has …

Filming for Our Lockdown – Saul
I was a little nervous about filming that day as we’d not been in the office for over a year, …

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Hana from the Hear Our Voice Monday group has been working hard editing her videos at home.

Keep an eye on your money – debit cards
This easy read guide explains the difference between a debit card and cash card. This guide also gives advice on …

Our Lockdown – Simon
I’m a Bradford Born Chinese, lived in Bradford for most of my life and have a degree.I have OCD and …

People you should tell
Part of the “What to do when someone dies” series of easy read booklets. This easy read booklet gives advice …

Registering a death
Part of the “What to do when someone dies” series of easy read booklets. This easy read booklet explains how …

What to do when someone dies
When someone close to you dies it can be a very sad and confusing time. It can be very hard …

Arranging a funeral
Part of the “What to do when someone dies” series of easy read booklets. This easy read booklet explains how …

Zoom Interviews
We have started our Zoom interview process for the Our Lockdown documentary. So far we have heard some great stories …

Voting by post
Voting by post is an easy way of voting if you can’t get to a polling station.

Moving day – An easy read guide
There are lots of things to do once you have a date to move into your house or flat. This …

Finding somewhere to live
Moving into a new home can be very stressful. There are lots of things you have to think about. This …

Using your debit card or phone to pay for things
When you buy something from a shop it can be easier to pay with your debit car or phone. It …

Lockdown new rules from 8th March 2021
The government have decided to lift some of the rules of lockdown. The government are calling it a roadmap. This …

Keep an eye on your money – Direct debits
A Direct Debit is a way you can pay your bills easily.The money comes out of your bank account automatically.

Keep an eye on your blood pressure
Having high blood pressure can put a strain on your arteries and organs. This means you could be at high …

Keeping safe online: Cyberbullying – An easy read guide
Cyberbullying is bullying that happens on the internet or on a phone.It’s sometimes called online bullying.

Our Lockdown – Luke
I’ve had a varied creative career so far; with a BA in Creative Writing and my first published fiction being …
How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
In the Monday group we have started to think of a highlight from the week before to share in our …

Our Lockdown – Saul
I’ve volunteered at BTM since 2015. I enjoy writing and anything creative, although my particular interests are illustration and animation. …

‘Our Lockdown’ – A documentary project led by volunteers at BTM
BTM and its volunteers have secured funding, through a small grants programme being run by CNet. It will be used …

A quick guide to using Microsoft Teams
Here is a guide to help you join a Microsoft Teams meeting. It also tells you how to download Microsoft …

Coronavirus – Things to remember
Useful information about the coronavirus lockdown.

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Damian from our Monday group has made this video about what he wants to achieve in the new year. Damian …


How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Here is an interview with Anthony from our Monday group talking about his plans and hopes for the new year.

The Land on the Other Side of the Page Book
Saul is a member of the Hear Our Voice project and attends the Wednesday group. This is a book I …

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Simon is a member of our Hear Our Voice Monday Group. He has made this video about what he wants …

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
We’ve been a little quiet on the Hear Our Voice project recently. The groups have been working hard on their …

Christmas Bubbles
The government have made some new rules for the Christmas holidays.

How to use the NHS bowel cancer screening kit
This easy read booklet is about the bowel cancer screening test.

COVID-19 vaccine survey
Plans are underway to roll out a vaccination that will protect people from COVID-19. To help these plans, we want …

Tier 3 Very high level
There are now 3 alert levels for coronavirus in England. This is called the Tier System. Different areas in the …

How to keep positive during lockdown
An easy read booklet with advice and tips on keeping happy and positive during lockdown.


Coronavirus new rules 14 October 2020 – Easy read
The government have made some new rules. They start on the 14th of October.
How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Anthony from our Monday Group talks about Zoom and it’s pros and cons!
How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Hana from our Monday Group has made a video at home about her love of video games.

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Simon from our Monday group has been working on a blog about one of his passions; comics. What are some …

OCD Awareness Week – Hear Our Voice
OCD Awareness Week My name is Simon. I wanted to write an article about my experience because this week is …

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Damian’s View on the Lockdown and Mental Health I’ve been thinking about another national lockdown and how it’s going to …
How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Hana from our Monday Group has made a video at home about her experience of lock down. Hana joins the …

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Chris is part of the Wednesday group and is a brilliant writer. He has written short stories and poems as …
How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Anthony received a tablet from BTM through the Keeping Connected project. This means he has been able to stay in …

Saul’s Video Diary – The Long Haul.
Saul made this video diary a while back and we’re only just sharing it now! ‘Here’s my latest video diary …

I have a condition called Complex PTSD which is a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Follow this link to understand more about this condition as it will help you understand why I feel the way I do.
The main issue with my condition is that I’m constantly looking out for anything that might be a threat. This means that I’m always anxious and watchful for danger. Hearing the neighbours or people talking outside puts me on edge and I go into fight, flight, or freeze mode.
When I am outside, I become overly watchful and this affects my spatial awareness. I feel quickly overwhelmed by busy places with lots of people and will feel frustrated because I want to get out but feel trapped.
For this reason, I don’t mind social distancing or staying at home but I feel isolated when I’ve had flashbacks or nightmares. I experience emotional flashbacks which means I am more likely to panic than relive traumatic events. This is because I can’t remember a lot of the traumas, I simply remember how they felt.
The virus itself feels threatening and when I go out it adds to my anxiety. Signs in shops, masks, and restrictions are a reminder of this threat. I try to challenge these fears by going out and accepting that much of my anxiety is based on past events. I’m still aware of the need to slow the progress of the virus so I follow government guidelines as much as possible.
Part of having CPTSD means I am prone to overthinking and catastrophizing. I often worry that things will never change and that the restrictions are now permanent. Again, I try to challenge this by questioning the likelihood of this happening. It doesn’t help that the restrictions seem too complicated and inconsistent in how they’re enforced. I often feel like things aren’t changing or that they’re getting worse.
This undermines my confidence in how the authorities are dealing with the virus.
Most of the time I’m able to deal with the difficult situation by accepting that there isn’t much I can do to change government policies except try to follow the restrictions. I try to distract myself by keeping busy and doing things that will make my life better when things get back to normal. This includes learning new skills, doing online courses, looking for work, and planning for the future.
I always try to stay aware of how I feel and remind myself that my condition will make things seem much worse than they are. Practicing self-care is important. I try to eat well, go out for walks and keep in touch with friends.
One of the most positive things about social distancing is that it’s given me space to focus on myself. I’ve used the tools I learnt in therapy to deal with and resolve a lot of my issues.
I feel that when the restrictions are lifted and life returns to normal, I’ll have a different perspective on life. This is exciting but also a bit scary because it’s new, and my natural response is to feel anxious. I’m optimistic though and I know that I’ve got through tough times and changes in life before.
The main thing is to stay aware, keep busy and remind myself that this is a temporary situation and whatever happens I’ll get through.

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Over the last few weeks, Saul from our Wednesday group has been putting together some illustrations to go with poetry …

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Munim has made a video about his return to Safety First in Bradford. He talks about what has changed.

Government update coronavirus 14.09.20
The government have made some changes to the rules on things we can do during the coronavirus pandemic. This is …

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
My Opinion on the Government Restrictions How do you find out information about government restrictions? My carers have shown me …

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
The Wednesday group have been having weekly Zoom calls since April. They are working on individual projects at home and …
How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
Hana is part of the Hear Our Voice Monday group and has recorded this video at home for her BTM …

How we’re carrying on – Hear Our Voice
The Monday Group have been meeting on Zoom for some weeks now. The group are working on their own projects …
Ella’s Cat
This is a video I created while at home during the Coronavirus pandemic. The original object was to pass the …