AYWMC end of year review
This is selfie I (Emma) took on a very windy day in Liverpool in July 2020, in between the first and second waves of the pandemic in the UK. Our lockdown had eased and we were allowed to travel. Cafes and museums were open. Wearing facemasks was encouraged but we still felt self conscious. We were supposed to stay 2m apart in shops and it felt awkward. Now in December 2020 it all feels perfectly normal.
We lost friends and family this year. Businesses have been bankrupted, travel plans ditched, new grandchildren remain un-cuddled. For A Year With My Camera it reinforced the value of belonging to a supportive community. We were able to move in-person meetups online. We could support thousands of people who looked to their camera to provide a project during enforced isolation. And we became a place simply to chat.
Safe Online photo community
Once it became apparent back in March that most of the world was going to be staying at home we were able to create a dedicated self-isolating support group in our app for members who were not able to risk leaving their house at all. We had a weekly photo project and space to chat.
The app has been the place new members have found support and encouragement as they worked through the AYWMC lessons, gradually moving off auto-mode and finding their camera a great distraction during the enforced isolation.
Leaving Facebook
In July I joined the Stop Hate For Profit campaigning group that emerged in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Facebook hosts hate speech (most notoriously Donald Trump’s “When the looting starts the shooting starts” post). The SHFP members agreed not to advertise on Facebook during July in protest. Many of us have decided to continue the ad-spend boycott indefinitely.
I wrote more about this in this post: Goodbye Facebook? and writing now at the end of the year I can delete the question mark. There’s no doubt that I’ll ever spend any more money on Facebook. AYWMC has moved the community from Facebook groups over to our dedicated app where nobody tracks your data and there is no third-party advertising.
Fundraising
ARTS EMERGENCY
I’m delighted to announce that as of last week A Year With My Camera has become a Bursar for Arts Emergency. I will donate £1,000 annually to this organisation that helps young people from under-represented backgrounds break into the arts industry. (If you are in the UK, have experience in the industry and are interested in becoming a mentor, click here for more information.)
BUSH FIRE RELIEF
It seems like a lifetime ago but back in January we raised £550 for Australian bush fire relief.
PANDEMIC KEYWORKERS
In May I welcomed 287 frontline keyworkers into my mindful photography course for no charge - whilst most of us could shelter at home many healthcare workers, teachers, cleaners, transport staff and shopworkers went out every day at the height of the pandemic.
We also raised more than £1,000 to send treats to NHS intensive care staff during the weeks when they were working 12+ hour shifts with no time off (photos shared with permission).
CHARITY WATER
We heard in November that the clean water project we raised over £8,000 to fund back in 2018 has been completed, bringing piped water to a community of 196 people in Ethiopia.
You can read more about the giving we have done as a community here: AYWMC giving.
The community in numbers
26,586 people joined the free AYWMC email course in 2020.
We have 6,482 members in our app community.
We are still mostly women: more than 80% of our members are women.
We are still mostly in or approaching the “third age”: more than 70% of our members are over 50.
Join us
Photography lessons for complete beginners, once a week for a year.
The community app is currently £4.99 for a year’s subscription. Sign up for the weekly email lessons here - app details are in the first email:
