Mandy Burrows Award: Meet our 2026 nominees
June 2026
Congratulations to all of our wonderful nominees, who have been put forward for our 2026 Mandy Burrows Award for their outstanding contributions to WAY over the past year.
Mandy Burrows was a WAY member who died at the age of just 30. Many members and friends donated money to a collection for WAY at her funeral and we decided that the best way to remember Mandy for many years to come was to use these funds for a memorial award.
Below you can read more about our three fabulous 2026 nominees and why they have been put forward for nomination by fellow WAY members.
Caroline’s story
“When Steve died in May 2025, after 25 years of marriage, my whole world changed. At 44, I was suddenly facing widowhood, solo parenting my two teenage boys, and rebuilding a life that no longer looked anything like the one we had planned. Finding WAY changed everything. For the first time, I was with people who truly understood. I could talk about Steve without feeling uncomfortable – say I’m not OK and someone will simply say ‘I know’. WAY members have become lifelong friends – people I speak to every day about survival, love, loss, the courage to keep going, and sometimes very dark humour too.
That support gave me the strength to fight back against the injustice of the Bereavement Support Payment system. Together with my WAY friends, I helped build Widows Fight UK to speak up for widowed families, push for change, and stand up for children who are being failed. Being nominated for this award means my grief, my love for Steve, and the community I’ve poured myself into have all been seen. We are stronger together. As a group of friends, we have plans to make a lasting impact and support others who find themselves in our shoes.”
Catherine’s story
“I joined WAY after losing my husband, Chris, to oesophageal cancer. I had no idea how hard grief would be, and in those early days I was desperately searching for anything that might help. The Wednesday new member Zoom calls became a lifeline, and when I later moved to another county, I started organising monthly walks so I could meet other widowed people locally. Almost immediately, I made much-needed widow friends, and those walks have now become a regular part of building a community in Lancashire.
WAY has helped me by showing me I am not alone, and that what I’ve felt and experienced is, sadly, normal. Now I try to help others by talking openly about grief, sharing WAY on social media, and creating spaces where widowed people feel welcome and understood. Being nominated for this award feels strange, but it means a lot to know that something good can come from losing Chris too soon.”
Lee’s story
What began as one daytime drink in London has become a lifeline for WAY members – and earned Lee a nomination for the Mandy Burrows Award. After being widowed in 2023 following the death of his wife, Charlie, Lee joined WAY looking for people who truly understood. When he realised some of the events were difficult for him to get to, he decided to organise one himself. Since then, his London meet-ups have grown into a regular space where members can talk, laugh and, in his words, “feel human once again.”
“If I can get one person to join me at an event then that is 100% success,” says Lee. In reality, many more have come – and kept coming back. “I am truly grateful for everyone I now can call a friend,” he says. He was stunned to hear he had been nominated for the Mandy Burrows Award: “I wasn’t expecting this at all, so wow – thank you. If I can do it, anyone can.”
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