Members' Stories

Sophie’s first year as a young widowed Mum: Reflecting on loss, love and new traditions

Dec 2024

WAY member Sophie was 17 weeks pregnant when her husband Paul tragically died in a road traffic accident. Now, over a year on, Sophie reflects on how she’s creating new traditions for herself and her …

Simon’s story: Finding strength through WAY’s peer-to-peer support

Nov 2024

This International Men’s Day, we ask WAY volunteer Simon how he rebuilt his life after his wife was killed in a road traffic collision…

Michelle's Story

Oct 2024

Although Bereavement Support Payment has been extended to cohabiting couples with children, unmarried couples without children are still being denied support. WAY member Michelle shares their story…

World Suicide Prevention Day: Helping to change the narrative

Sept 2024

WAY member Claudia shares her thoughts to mark World Suicide Prevention Day…

Building friendships through grief

May 2024

Katie and Nat joined WAY after losing their husbands Oli and Steve in December 2022. Katie was 31 and Nat was 34 at the time.

Healing through helping others: Matt’s story

Apr 2024

WAY member Matt talks about how he wanted to help other people who’d been widowed at a young age by organising events in his local area - from curry nights to car maintenance…

Kiltwalk Challenge: Veronica’s story

Apr 2024

WAY’s National Volunteer Manager Veronica Currie explains why she’s walking more than 80 miles through Scotland’s biggest cities to raise funds for WAY in memory of her late husband, who would have tu…

Rebuilding my life: Zoe's story

Mar 2024

WAY volunteer Zoe lost her partner to a road traffic collision in October 2020. She explains how she’s started to rebuild her own life after his death…

Elanor's Story

Mar 2024

Elanor was pregnant with their daughter when her partner Robin was killed in a road traffic collision. She shares her story and how the support she found following his death helped her...

Lone parenting is an extreme sport with no training

Feb 2024

WAY member Meredith reflects on the relentlessness of widowed parenting – and the importance of asking for help…

National Day of Reflection: Looking back on four years since being widowed to Covid-19

Feb 2024

WAY Ambassador Emma Charlesworth reflects on the rollercoaster of emotions she has navigated since her husband Charlie died after contracting Covid-19 four years ago…

Ramadan as a widowed Muslim mother: Ruba’s story

Feb 2024

We understand how difficult this month can be without your loved one, especially this year when the start of the month coincides with Mother’s Day.

Anushka’s story: Navigating secondary losses on Mother’s Day

Feb 2024

WAY member Anushka was on the brink of countless adventures with her partner Max when he died suddenly in March 2020 at the age of just 33.

Katie's Story

Jan 2024

WAY member Katie explains how WAY has helped her to navigate life after her fiance’s death. Here’s her story…

Sophie’s story: Facing the New Year as a new mum

Dec 2023

WAY member Sophie was 17 weeks pregnant when her husband Paul died in a traffic accident earlier this year. She shares how she’ll be making this New Year as special as she can for their newborn daught…

Darren's Story

Dec 2023

WAY member Darren’s husband Chris died in January after suffering a brain aneurysm. The 44-year-old from Sheffield explains how he has navigated the past 11 months without Chris….

Facing the future with optimism: Claire's Story

Dec 2023

WAY member Claire shares how she is facing the Christmas and the New Year with as much optimism as she can since her husband of 20 years died in January…

Navigating grief together: A mother and daughter’s journey

Nov 2023

We talk to WAY’s National Volunteer Manager Veronica, whose husband Wullie died unexpectedly from a heart attack seven years ago, and her daughter Becca, now 18.

Bereaved by Suicide: Kate’s story

Sept 2023

To mark Suicide Awareness Month, WAY member Kate shares how she is determined to turn the devastating loss of her partner Matt into a positive force to help people talk more openly about death and sui…

Sweena's Story: International Widows' Day

Jun 2023

23 June is International Widows’ Day, which is a UN awareness day set up to highlight the plight of widows around the world.

You don't have to face widowhood alone.

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

Joining up to WAY takes minutes and costs just £30 a year, which can be paid either by direct debit or PayPal.

“I will always remain a member of WAY as I know that my membership helps WAY to continue to support other members and reach out to new members.

Since WAY has made such a difference to me after being widowed young, I want to do all that I can to help that support continue” - WAY member, Jenny