During the months of July and August, I intend to walk a minimum 300km to raise money for WAY (Widowed and Young). This figure represents the distance (well, 307km) between Gloucester, where my wife Kate was born, and York, where she passed away in July 2018.

WAY is a peer-to-peer support network designed to offer help to those sadly widowed under 50 years of age. It is an experience that is more widespread than many realise, but remains a somewhat misunderstood and overlooked experience. It is fair to say many breathing today would have been lost to grief without the guidance, support, understanding and even love of their fellow WAYers, who are a close, tight-knit community who continue to give back to others despite their own troubles.

The person who can walk through fire to help others despite being on fire themselves is a person to admire.

COVID-19 has sadly created many new members of WAY, as our numbers continue to swell in a way we wished it wouldn't. We are rare in that we have no desire to grow, but sadly this is the way of the world. COVID-19 has also severely impacted our fundraising efforts this summer, so many of our members are taking on these small challenges to try and keep us going.

• £2 pays for a WAY member to have access to the WAY support helpline providing 1:1 telephone advice and counselling (24 hrs a day/365 days a year)
• £5 pays for marketing materials to reach out to 100 young bereaved people who could benefit from joining WAY.
• £25 pays for a grieving person who can not afford the membership fee, to join WAY for a year.
• £50 pays for a memorial fund donation to help fund a place for a WAY member who’s struggling to attend a WAY event.

Thank you. Diolch yn Fawr.