Bereavement Support

Unfortunately, there’s no guide book for grief. Everyone is different, and no two people will experience grieving in the same way. From numbness to anger, from disbelief to guilt, there’s no set pattern to the grieving process, especially when you’ve been widowed at a young age.

The First Few Weeks

A Survival Guide to Being Widowed Young

Unfortunately, there’s no guidebook for grief. Everyone is different and no two people will experience grieving in the same way.

Financial Support

You may be eligible to claim bereavement benefits after your partner has died.

Dealing with Paperwork

One of the most frustrating things any bereaved person has to face in the first few weeks after death is the endless stream of paperwork.

The Funeral

Planning the funeral will no doubt take up a lot of time and energy in the first days or weeks after your partner’s death.

Memorials

You may decide that you would like to hold a memorial service to celebrate the life of your partner and to honour their memory.

What To Do With Ashes

Whatever your situation, deciding what to do with your partner’s ashes is a delicate subject – for both you and your family. It’s a very personal decision.

Getting Back Out Into the Real World

In the first few weeks and months of bereavement, you’ll probably feel like avoiding social occasions. Much though you might want to, you can’t hide away forever.

Returning to work after bereavement

Although you won’t want colleagues to pretend that nothing has happened, often a warm smile or a hug is enough to know that people are thinking about you, rather than facing a barrage of well-meaning questions.

What to Do About Holidays

Holidays can be a fraught time when you've lost your partner. Whereas overseas trips were once a relaxing time that you used to plan and enjoy together, now you are faced with the bleak prospect of organising a holiday on your own.

Surviving Weddings and Special Events

Often the most difficult days to get through are significant dates that you used to celebrate, but now you’d probably rather forget - birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Christmas.

The Perils of Dating

Dating after you've been widowed can be fraught with perils, particularly in the early months of bereavement, when you may still be feeling very emotionally raw.

Supporting Family and Friends

Supporting adults who have been bereaved

Supporting Children

Supporting Children that have been bereaved

Widowed within the LGBTQIA+ community

Widowed within the Cultural and Ethnic Diverse communities

Widowed without children

Widowed with children

Widowed within the Military community

Widowed by a RTC

Widowed by a suicide

Men's Grief

Join us!

You don't have to face widowhood alone – join over 4,700 other young widowed people across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales who ‘get it’.

If you've lost your partner before your 51st birthday and live in the UK – married or not, with or without children, inclusive of sexual orientation, gender, race and religion – you are welcome to join us.

Joining up to WAY takes just minutes and costs just £30 per year.

Become a member

Membership FAQs

Time to renew?

If your annual WAY membership is up for renewal all you need to do is log in to your member account on the website, and renewing your membership is quick and easy via our online payment system.

To continue attending local events and holidays, receiving WAY magazines and email newsletters, and getting access to our members only web community, you need to keep your annual membership up to date.

Financial support for your membership

We are well aware that, as a result of bereavement and its consequences, many people can struggle financially.

The WAY Memorial Fund has been established to support our members who may need help to enjoy the benefits of membership. Currently there are funds available to assist members in both the payment of their annual membership fees and to attend WAY-organised events in the UK.

If you, or a member you know, would like to apply for assistance please apply here.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Age 51 or over?

Our constitution limits us from enabling those aged 51 or over at the time of their bereavement from joining WAY. You are still able to join, and remain a WAY member, past your 51st birthday if you were bereaved before then.

If you are age 51 or over, we can signpost you to WAY Up which is an online community of widowed men and women that is UK wide.

Most WAY Up members are aged 52-65 and they offer each other support and friendship on their forum, as well as holding gatherings and parties that are becoming the stuff of legend.

More FAQs

Read our full list of frequently asked questions about WAY and becoming a member.