WAY’s Impact in 2024 – Supporting 4,500+ young widowed people across the UK

July 2025

At WAY, our mission is to ensure that no young widowed person has to face grief alone. Thanks to the incredible support from our members, volunteers and fundraisers, we made a meaningful difference to 4,520 young widowed people’s lives across the UK last year.

According to our June 2025 member survey (with responses from 462 members), the impact of WAY’s support is clear:

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• 78% of members said they now have a stronger support network

• 85% have a better understanding of grief and bereavement

• 77% feel better able to cope with their loss

• 67% rated in-person meetups and events as one of WAY’s top five services

One member shared:

“WAY has been a lifeline. I had no friends that had any idea how I felt until I joined WAY... Finding people who just get it has been incredibly helpful and the support has been amazing.”

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2024 by the numbers

• 4,520 young widowed people supported

• 1,143 events organised by WAY members across the UK

• 184 volunteers gave their time to help us reach more people

• 178 young widowed people received gifted annual memberships

• Our generous community raised £112,635

• Over 340 members accessed our support line for legal, financial or counselling support

• Our small team of just 5 staff kept everything running behind the scenes

• More than 30,000 people followed us on social media

• Our website welcomed 76,426 visitors

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What else did members tell us?

From the same survey:

• 95% said WAY membership of £30 offers good or very good value for money

• 82% feel less isolated

• 78% said that meeting others in similar situations has helped

• 78% found the legal and counselling helplines helpful

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All of this is only possible because of our incredible community – from the members and volunteers who support one another daily to the fundraisers who help to raise money for our vital services.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we continue to build a stronger, more connected space for people across the UK who’ve been widowed before their 51st birthday.