Members' Stories

WAY’s Volunteer Manager on Living with Dying podcast

Sept 2024

WAY’s National Volunteer Manager talks about the value of peer support on the Living with Dying podcast

Nicky’s story: Finding Chapter 2

Jul 2024

WAY member Nicky Wake explains how joining WAY Widowed and Young inspired her to set up a dating agency for widows and widowers called Chapter 2. Now she’s raising funds for WAY through her company an…

Tracking down lost assets: How WAY member Lucy is helping young widowed people in their search

Apr 2024

On Thursday, 18 April, WAY member and financial advisor Lucy Logan is due to appear in an ITV documentary called Claim Your Cash: Britain’s Hidden Fortune alongside fellow member Clare, talking about …

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…

Finding friendship: Orlanda and Rachel’s story

Aug 2023

A chance encounter through WAY’s Instagram platform helped friendship to flourish between WAY Ambassador Orlanda and fellow WAY member Rachel, who were both widowed while pregnant.

WAY members on camera

May 2023

Earlier this year, a film crew from the Smiley Movement spent a few hours with 60 WAY Widowed and Young members and their children at one of our family adventure weekends at PGL Caythorpe near Grantha…

Marking National Day of Reflection: Emma’s reflections

Mar 2023

Today, 23 March, has become known as the National Day of Reflection. Set up by the charity Marie Curie, it takes place on the anniversary of the day that then Prime Minister Boris Johnson placed the U…

Flying High: Amanda's Story

Mar 2023

WAY Widowed and Young member Amanda from Scotland shares how she took up flying as a new focus after her husband Davie died. You can read more about Amanda’s story in the April 2023 issue of Prima mag…

Extending Bereavement Support Payments: Lauren’s story

Mar 2023

When Lauren’s husband Rob died last June, she started to receive the first of 18 monthly instalments of Bereavement Support Payment to help support herself and her daughter, Amelia. Although she was g…

Celebrating campaign success: Georgia's Story

Feb 2023

Georgia Elms was widowed in 2006 when her husband Jon died suddenly from meningitis aged just 38 – the next day she discovered she was pregnant with the couple’s second child.

Celebrating campaign success: Laura's Story

Jan 2023

York-based WAY member Laura has been campaigning to extend bereavement support to unmarried parents since her partner Nigel died of a heart attack in February 2020, leaving her to bring up their 2-yea…

ITVBe documentary: WAY member Debbie shares her husband’s brain cancer story

Dec 2022

WAY member Debbie, whose husband Steve was diagnosed with the same type of brain cancer as The Wanted singer Tom Parker, says she admires Tom’s widow Kelsey Parker for speaking out so publicly about h…

Sarah’s Story and appearing on ITVBe's 'Life After Tom'

Dec 2022

WAY member Sarah shares her story and why being involved in the "Life After Tom" documentary was important to her.

WAY member Hannah features in ITVBe documentary

Nov 2022

On 1 December, Kelsey Parker’s documentary Life After Tom is due to air on ITVBe at 9pm. In the first episode, Kelsey joins a WAY meet up and talks to Kent WAY members Sarah, Hannah and Michael - and …

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