Michael Collinson

Guitar, mandolin, ukulele and bass – Michael Collinson can play them all, and for the past 15 years they, along with his voice, have earned him a steady living.

But as the pandemic struck and his steady schedule of gigs and lessons dried up, the father-ofone, from York, has been through some dark days.

He was homeless for several weeks at the height of the pandemic after his plans to move into a new home fell through.

With little government support and a complete collapse of income, he had few options.

“It was pretty dire,” recalls Michael, 38. “There were several weeks where I stayed at friends’, but with lockdown, people didn’t always want people staying, so I did end up briefly in the car.”

Michael was already in a fragile mental state after losing his mother last September, and the financial stress triggered by the pandemic made that worse.

“With the loss of earnings, my mental health deteriorated,” he says. “I started with a therapist, but after three sessions she disappeared.”

With ongoing, fluctuating restrictions around the country, demand for his services is not picking up.

“Every time I come up with a plan, the Government changes the rules,” he says.

“I contact places, then restrictions change. So I get the gig, send out a load of posters, then they cancel.”

Michael expects to receive some money from the sale of his late mother’s house. But the loss of his work has far more than just financial consequences.

“It’s not just my job – it’s everything to me,” he says.

“I had issues in the past with depression but music has been the one thing that kept me going, and doing it for a living really helped… It’s the uncertainty that’s so hard.”