Campaigning News

Bereaved families take campaign to Parliament

Jun 2026

Last weekend, a group of bereaved families descended on Parliament Square to call for changes to Bereavement Support Payments.

Eve’s story illustrates why unmarried bereaved partners need greater legal protection

Jun 2026

When WAY member Eve* lost her partner of seven years, she was not only navigating overwhelming grief but also the legal and financial uncertainty that can come with losing an unmarried partner.

WAY welcomes consultation on inheritance rights for unmarried partners

Jun 2026

WAY welcomes consultation on rights for cohabiting couples, including inheritance rights for unmarried partners

Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave: A new right for grieving parents

May 2026

Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave gives employed fathers and partners new rights if their partner dies in their child’s first year of life…

“I want my baby to know who his dad was”: Mae’s fight to fill the Blank Space

Feb 2026

WAY member Mae explains why she is supporting our Blank Space campaign

Progress on our Blank Space campaign: Some promising words from Government officials

Feb 2026

We have received some promising news from Government officials in response to our Blank Space campaign, but there’s still work to be done. Read more…

Bringing our Blank Space campaign to Scotland

Jan 2026

WAY is bringing our Blank Space campaign to Scotland to help bereaved mothers navigate a complex and unfair process – and to call for change.

Bereavement support “shockingly inadequate”: WAY member’s plea to Chancellor Reeves

Jan 2026

WAY member Caroline’s household income dropped by 75% overnight when her husband died of cancer last year, leaving her to raise two teenage children on her own.

Blank Space campaign in Scotland: Karen’s story

Jan 2026

Scottish WAY member Karen shares why she is supporting WAY’s Blank Space campaign…

WAY Trustee: My family’s story is the human cost behind 'too little, too late'

Nov 2025

On the day findings from the UK Covid-19 Inquiry are published, WAY Trustee Emma Charlesworth’s story illustrates the devastating human cost behind decisions made ‘too little, too late’…

Blank Space: Sophie’s struggle to register her baby’s birth

Jun 2025

On Tuesday, 17 June, Sophie’s experiences were shared in Parliament by MP Jen Craft as part of her Ten Minute Rule Bill to close the Blank Space faced by some bereaved mothers trying to register their…

WAY's Big Picnic Weekend 2025

May 2025

The weather was beyond kind for WAY’s Big Picnic weekend, encouraging more than 550 WAY members, friends and family to roll out their picnic blankets at 36 picturesque locations across the country – f…

Campaigning for change: Democracy in action

Apr 2025

WAY trustee Gary explains how emailing his MP has helped to open doors for WAY’s Stand Up for Bereaved Families campaign.

Statutory Bereavement Damages: Calling for reform for bereaved families

Apr 2025

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is campaigning for reform to Statutory Bereavement Damages. Find out why…

Fighting for fairness: Battle for backdated bereavement support reaches European Court of Human Rights

Feb 2025

Two bereaved parents are taking their fight for equal bereavement benefits for cohabiting couples all the way to the European Court of Human Rights. Here’s their story…

A word from the Chair of WAY: Joanna’s story

Feb 2025

The Chair of WAY Widowed and Young Joanna Sedley-Burke talks about being an LGBTQIA+ widow – and her ambitions to make sure everyone knows about WAY.

Bereavement Support Payments: A lifeline for Stacey on Valentine’s Day

Feb 2025

On the two year anniversary of bereavement benefits being extended to cohabiting parents, we talk to WAY member Stacey about the difference the payments have made…

Blank Space campaign in parliament today

Feb 2025

WAY Widowed and Young's Blank Space campaign was raised in the House of Commons today by MP Caroline Voaden, who is a former Chair of our charity. Read WAY member Nicola's testimony...

LGBT+ History Month: Standing up for LGBT+ rights

Jan 2025

For LGBT+ History Month, we share the story of WAY Widowed and Young member Andrew, who campaigned for same-sex marriage and was able to marry his partner, Jerry, before he died at the age of 30.

Volunteering with WAY in 2024

Jan 2025

As we enter 2025, WAY has almost 200 formal volunteers who have stepped forward to help support the charity and our members in a variety of different ways.

At WAY we pride ourselves on providing support, free of judgement, to anyone who is facing widowhood at a young age. We are also committed to fighting injustices that young widowed people may face.