Digital scrapbook app, Storychest said it has seen monthly registered users increase by 400% since lockdown began on 23 March 2020.
Its founder, Charlotte McMillian puts this down to the innate need humans have for experiencing life with their own tribe.
She said: “The idea for Storychest came from my own desire to keep stories about my family alive, including stories about my grandmother who was a much loved and central person in our family, and my father, a larger than life character who touched the lives of many but who sadly passed away before my children were born.
“I’ve passed on my grandmother’s recipes to my children through Storychest and mementoes from my father including postcards he sent me as child when he and mum went to Europe on trip (I grew up in Australia). I wanted to create a way for my family and other families to capture the essence of their personal stories.”
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Over the last 70 days Storychest has seen a particular surge in downloads among women over 55.
Many existing users have also been keeping Covid-19 diaries digitally to preserve their thoughts and feelings of the time for future generations.
Storychest plans to continue its outreach to families, especially to members who are over 65 and vulnerable people who are still shielding with health concerns.
Charlotte explained that she is also encouraging younger members of families to capture their thoughts at the moment: “Children have such a unique and unaffected lens through which they see the world, and we’re really keen for them to reflect on this fundamental time in our modern history.
“I’m asking my own children and friends’ children to capture it in their own words or pictures, as something to look back on as we work towards our ‘new normal’”.
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Storychest can be used by anyone from the age of 13, and is currently available on Apple devices.
Charlotte and her team are researching funding methods to help with development of an Android version to make it accessible to a wider audience.
For more information, visit Storychest.com or to download the app and receive your first 30 stories for free, search for it on Apple’s App store.
