12th May

12th May 2026

This year we are keen to hear about your thoughts and feelings about nature and wellbeing as well as anything else you would like to share about your day.

Tell us if you go out and experience nature on 12th May. Where did you go? How did this experience make you feel?

Is nature an important part of your life and how does it relate to your wellbeing?

If you were at work, or indoors, is there somewhere else you would have liked to have been instead?

If you were at school, is there a part of your day, where you interact with nature? What does this mean to you?

Or post your diary to us

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The Mass Observation Archive

The Keep

Woolards Way

Brighton BN1 9BP

As an Individual

Diary day is about recording everyday life in the UK for future generations.

We are really keen to capture as many different voices and lived experiences as possible. We encourage everyone to take part!

Your diary can be as detailed as you like. It can include drawings, photos or other creative work. We want to capture not just what you did, but how you felt during the day too.

What do I need to include?

The only things we ask writers to include are:

• A brief self portrait:
  • your age, where you live, your relationship status, your job or occupation if you are working and any other information that you think is important to record.

• A copyright statement. This means that we can add your diary to the Archive and make it publicly accessible. If you don’t attach this statement, we won’t be able to keep your diary or make it part of the Archive. We ask that you include the following statement:
  • “I donate my 12th May diary to the Mass Observation Archive. I consent to it being made publicly available as part of the Archive and assign my copyright in the diary to the Mass Observation Archive Trustees so that it can be reproduced in full or in part on websites, in publications and in broadcasts as approved by the Mass Observation Trustees. I agree to the Mass Observation Archive assuming the role of Data Controller and the Archive will be responsible for the collection and processing of personal data and ensuring that such data complies with the DPA.”

How do I send you my diary?

Diaries can be submitted via our online form (Word or PDF documents preferably) or posted to us at The Keep. You can also take part via the hashtag, #12may2026.

As a Group

We really welcome diaries from school children, community groups, or other organisations and have an optional template you can use.

If you choose not to use the template, please ensure that each individual diary includes the following statement so that we can add it to the Archive.

“I donate my 12th May diary to the Mass Observation Archive. I consent to it being made publicly available as part of the Archive and assign my copyright in the diary to the Mass Observation Archive Trustees so that it can be reproduced in full or in part on websites, in publications and in broadcasts as approved by the Mass Observation Trustees. I agree to the Mass Observation Archive assuming the role of Data Controller and the Archive will be responsible for the collection and processing of personal data and ensuring that such data complies with the DPA.”

Please also download, complete and sign a copy of the Terms and Conditions form. You only need to submit one Terms and Conditions form with a batch of diaries from your school, group or organisation and send to the Mass Observation Archive at The Keep. There does not have to be a form for every submission.