WAY welcomes new trustee

February 2024

WAY Widowed and Young is pleased to welcome our ninth member to the charity's Board of Trustees - WAY member Sarah Bowsher.

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Sarah was widowed in 2014 when her husband Chris died of a brain haemorrhage while they were taking a short break in Paris. Aged just 40 at the time, Sarah also had two sons, aged 8 and 14. Although she had plenty of support around her from family and friends, she found tailored support and lifelong friends through WAY's peer support network.

Sarah decided to give back to the charity that had been such a lifeline for her by becoming a local volunteer for WAY, helping to welcome new members and organise events. 

When she heard that WAY was looking for trustees with a financial background, she decided to offer her skills as a Chartered Accountant and Finance Manager to the charity's Board of Trustees. She was co-opted onto the Board by fellow trustees in January 2024. 

Sarah is also a listener and trustee for her local branch of Samaritans.

What do WAY's Trustees do?

WAY currently has nine Trustees - seven members of the charity and two non members - who help make key decisions about finances and help to steer the future direction of the charity. 

WAY's Trustees formally meet six times a year - both online and in person. Between the meetings Trustees support the activities for the charity, for example, by taking part in our diversity working groups.

WAY's Trustees are all volunteers, fitting their responsibilities around other commitments. 

WAY's Chief Executive Stephanie Patrick said: "We are very grateful to WAY members like Sarah who volunteer their time and expertise so generously to give back to the charity that has helped them in their bereavement - and who are helping to make sure WAY is being run effectively and robustly to help support young widowed men and women across the UK today, tomorrow and into the future."