Members' Stories

Day of Reflection: Learning to live again after loss

Mar 2025

To mark this Day of Reflection, WAY member Eileen reflects on the three years since she lost her partner Scott to COVID-19…

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.

Unleashing hope: Michelle’s story

Feb 2025

To mark National Love Your Pet Day, we share how WAY member Michelle followed her dream after she was widowed – setting up an award-winning dog grooming business…

World Cancer Day: Olivia's story

Feb 2025

This World Cancer Day, we are thinking of everyone who has lost a partner to cancer, including WAY member Olivia, whose husband Graeme died of bowel cancer last January at the age of 41…

WAY Holidays: Looking back on 2024

Jan 2025

Throughout the year, the WAY Operations Team organises a number of weekend breaks across the country that all WAY members can attend. 2024 was no exception…

Coping with Christmas: Rebecca’s story

Dec 2024

WAY member Rebecca, who set up the subgroup WAY WOCS for WAY members without children – shares how she copes with Christmas…

Seven swans a-swimming: WAY’s festive yarnbomb wings its way to Chester

Dec 2024

Creative WAY members have been weaving their yarnbombing magic once again – bringing Christmas cheer to Chester with seven handcrafted swans a-swimming…

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…

WAY’s Big Picnic Weekend: A celebration of friendship and support

May 2024

The sun came out for WAY’s Big Picnic weekend, encouraging more than 400 WAY members, friends and family to roll out their picnic blankets at 29 picturesque locations across the country – from Cornwal…

WAY members treated to Oxford bus tour for Big Picnic weekend

May 2024

WAY members were invited for an exclusive guided bus tour of Oxford to mark Big Picnic weekend

Walking this WAY: Ed's Story

May 2024

WAY member Ed has walked hundreds of miles and raised more than £10,000 for WAY since his wife died. With more fundraising challenges in store in 2024, Ed shares how walking and WAY have helped...

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.

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…

Sarah’s story – facing her first Christmas after her husband died

Dec 2023

This will be Sarah’s first Christmas and New Year without Glynn, who died on 3 March 2023. This time last year, Glynn was in and out of hospital before being discharged on New Year’s Eve: “It was such…