Meet our new Board members

March 2023

We are delighted to welcome two new members – Bobbie Kelly and Marcos Eleftheriou to WAY’s Board of Trustees.

Meet Marcos (non WAY member)

Co-opted February 2023

“I became a WAY Trustee in 2023 after being a long-standing supporter of the charity. It was through my work as a medical negligence solicitor that I became aware of WAY and the support the charity provided to young, bereaved people. Many of my clients have suffered from bereavement and so I was eager to promote the charity as a safe place for people to go in their time of need. 

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I had met with members of the WAY team on several occasions and was impressed by their friendly and supportive approach – as well as their determination to ensure that no young, bereaved person should be left without peer-to-peer support. As soon as the opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance of joining the charity as a Trustee. 

I have extensive experience in litigation, particularly in medical negligence. This involves client and colleague management, managing Court deadlines, negotiation and ultimately doing the best job for my clients. Given the nature of my work, I also understand the needs of bereaved people and work with them to provide the support and rehabilitation they deserve. I am also well versed in developing commercial and charitable relationships and managing a team to help achieve objectives.  

As a Board member for WAY, I hope to support the charity in working towards its aim of reaching more young, bereaved people. I am committed to supporting the charity and its members and will lean on my extensive legal and commercial experience to support the charity’s aspirations.” 

Meet Bobbie (WAY member)

Co-opted February 2023

“I was widowed unexpectedly in September 2021 at the age of 39 when my husband, Neil, passed away in his sleep.

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Although nobody wants to be eligible to join WAY, I feel exceptionally fortunate to have been told about the charity by a friend just days after Neil died. Within a month, I had attended my first WAY event – dinner at a local pub – and since then have embraced the social side of being a member, attending events such as coffee mornings, dog walks, coach and boat trips.

I don’t remember much of the dark, early days now, but I do know that the support I received from other members in similar situations was an absolute lifeline for me. The friends I have made in WAY have shown me that it is OK to smile and look forwards, and my world is much brighter now because of them.

I applied to become a Trustee of WAY to say thank you and to give something back to the charity that has helped me. I also work for a mental health charity in communications, and I intend to use my skills and ideas to raise WAY’s profile and help the charity to reach more widowed people at an earlier stage in their journeys."