Life in Lockdown: Experiences of Aussies & Kiwis living in the UK during the COVID-19 Pandemic

We (virtually) sat down with a handful of professionals from Australia and New Zealand who are living abroad in the UK during the lockdown period of COVID-19. Check out our latest video to hear how the pandemic has impacted their time overseas.

People from every walk of life, all over the world, have been affected by the outbreak of Coronavirus and the subsequent government measures. From the heroism of the front-line key workers to the honourable dedication of the general public to #StayAtHome, everyone has their part to play.

When lockdown was first imposed in the UK, on the evening of Monday 23rd March 2020, a ‘new normal’ emerged overnight.  For our own community of Aussies & Kiwis, the impact of this included:

• The cancellation of all their long-anticipated travel plans
• Missing out on their many social activities, London life and the ability to see friends and meet new people
• Worries about the future, including questions about whether it’s worth leaving the UK prematurely
• Some individuals being put on furlough (when you are placed on temporary leave from your job and the government funds 80% of your salary) and therefore unable to work.
• Some being made redundant and losing their job altogether

The thing that we were most taken by when chatting with this group was their retained sense of optimism – despite how bleak the situation has seemed. While they were, understandably, worried about what the future may hold and disappointed to lose out on travel plans, not a single one of them expressed any regret over their decision to move to the UK. If anything, the lockdown has made them more invigorated than ever to get out and explore when all of this is over. 

We would like to say a massive thank you to all those who participated in this video and shared their stories. 

If you are an Aussie or Kiwi living in the UK and are looking for advice or someone to talk to, MyOE’s door is always open to you. We have a fantastic community of like-minded people, all going through this together. 

How you can stay in touch:

• Contact Us – we have a quick contact form, where you can leave us a message and we’ll get back to you
• @myoeinfo on Facebook – join our community of over 22,000 MyOE followers 
• @myoe on Twitter
• Our LinkedIn community for like-minded professionals

We would truly love to hear from you!