WAY Widowed and Young
WAY Widowed and Young is a UK charity (charity number 1164988) that runs the Membership Hub, providing peer-to-peer bereavement support, forums, 100+ support groups, a 24-hour helpline, and related services to 4,600+ widowed members aged 50 and under across the four UK nations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLichfield, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What WAY Widowed and Young does
WAY Widowed and Young is a UK registered charity (charity number 1164988) that provides peer-to-peer bereavement support to people aged 50 and under who have lost their partner. Its core product is the Membership Hub, an online community that combines member-only forums with more than 100 local and themed support groups and in-person meet-ups, structured into subgroups serving bereaved parents, LGBTQ+ members, and military-connected members among others. Adjunct services include the WAY Forward quarterly magazine, a 24-hour telephone helpline backed by counselling and legal support, a Memorial Fund, a merchandise shop, and the WAY Lottery.
The business model is a hybrid charity income stack. Members pay a £30 annual subscription that covers only about half the ~£60 per-member cost of delivering the service, with the balance funded through donations (notably via JustGiving), corporate partnerships, merchandise and lottery revenue. Go-to-market is community-led and word-of-mouth driven, supplemented by digital channels and referrals from healthcare professionals. The organisation operates across all four UK nations with 4,600+ members and 200+ formal volunteers, and is governed by a refreshed trustee board against a published 2021–2026 Strategic Plan. WAY has also moved into light policy advocacy, campaigning on bereavement benefits and birth certificate equality.
WAY Widowed and Young firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WAY Widowed and Young
- Legal name
- WAY Widowed and Young
- Website
- https://widowedandyoung.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- WAY Widowed and Young is a UK charity (charity number 1164988) that runs the Membership Hub, providing peer-to-peer bereavement support, forums, 100+ support groups, a 24-hour helpline, and related services to 4,600+ widowed members aged 50 and under across the four UK nations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WAY Widowed and Young industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bereavement Support Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent) (HLADAHAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI)
Keywords
Where WAY Widowed and Young is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lichfield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
WAY Widowed and Young business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership subscription at £30 per year, auto-renewing annually. Members gain access to online community hub, support groups, events, magazine, and helpline services.
- Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through JustGiving platform, fundraising events, challenge events, corporate donations, and Facebook fundraisers. Memorial Fund supports members who cannot afford membership.
- Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships, charity of the year partnerships, and employer business support programs.
- Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling clothing (hoodies, polo shirts, t-shirts), accessories (keyrings, badges, bags), cards, and stationery with WAY branding.
- WAY Lottery: Weekly lottery program as a sustainable fundraising mechanism for the charity.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Annual Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
WAY Widowed and Young product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WAY Widowed and Young is a UK registered charity (no. 1164988) that provides peer-led bereavement support, friendship, and community to people widowed under the age of 50. Its core offering is an annual membership (£30/year) that grants access to local meet-ups, an online community, and member resources. The charity supplements its support services with revenue-generating activities including a lottery, a member magazine, and an online shop.
Product overview
WAY Widowed and Young is a UK charity offering a peer-to-peer support network for anyone aged 50 or under when their partner died. The core product is the Membership Hub, an online community platform providing access to forums, over 100 support groups, local meet-ups, and national events. Supporting offerings include the quarterly WAY Forward magazine, a 24-hour telephone support line with counselling and legal support, and the Memorial Fund for financial assistance. The organization also operates an e-commerce shop selling branded merchandise including clothing and accessories, plus a lottery program for fundraising. Membership costs £30 per year with a 14-day cooling-off period.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WAY Membership
- Peer Support Meet-ups
Quantifiable outcome
- 4,600+ members finding peer support across the UK
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WAY Widowed and Young
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WAY Widowed and Young technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
WAY Widowed and Young partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Childhood Bereavement UKcoreWAY has a formal partnership with Childhood Bereavement UK, listed on their Partnerships page. This collaboration supports the broader bereavement care ecosystem and allows for cross-referrals and shared expertise in supporting bereaved families.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WAY Widowed and Young competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Samaritans: UK-wide emotional support charity running a 24-hour helpline; comparable to WAY's telephone support line as a peer-distress service, but broader in scope and focused on crisis listening rather than long-term peer community.
- Marie Curie: UK end-of-life and bereavement charity with a national support line and information services; comparable in providing bereavement support infrastructure but primarily focused on terminal illness rather than young-widowed peer community.
- Together for Short Lives: UK children's palliative care charity; adjacent to WAY's bereavement support remit with overlapping end-of-life and family-support themes, though focused on life-limited children rather than partner loss.
- Sue Ryder: Major UK charity running hospices and bereavement support services including an online bereavement community; overlaps with WAY on grief support but operates a much broader palliative-care and end-of-life portfolio.
- Mind: UK mental health charity that overlaps with WAY where grief produces mental health needs; broader in remit but a potential referral partner and competing voice for grief-related mental health support funding.
Direct peers
- Cruse Bereavement Support: The largest UK bereavement charity, offering peer-led bereavement support across all ages including younger widowed people; directly comparable in mission and target population, though it serves a broader demographic and does not specialize exclusively in the under-50 widowed segment.
- Winston's Wish: UK charity providing bereavement support for children, young people and their families, frequently cited alongside WAY as a referral partner; comparable peer-support delivery model in the UK bereavement sector.
- The Compassionate Friends: UK charity supporting bereaved parents and siblings through peer-led groups; highly comparable peer-support group model, though focused on parental/sibling bereavement rather than partner loss.
- Childhood Bereavement UK: UK charity supporting bereaved children and families; already a formal WAY partner, addressing the adjacent (younger) end of the bereavement support spectrum with similar peer-support and information-based service models.
Regional players
- Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity): UK charity supporting parents bereaved through stillbirth and neonatal death; comparable niche peer-support model but focused on a specific cause of bereavement often intersecting with the widowed-during-pregnancy segment WAY serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
WAY Widowed and Young social profiles
Digital presenceWAY Widowed and Young compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
WAY Widowed and Young financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WAY Widowed and Young leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
WAY Widowed and Young funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WAY Widowed and Young M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WAY Widowed and Young
What does WAY Widowed and Young do?
WAY Widowed and Young is a UK registered charity (no. 1164988) that provides peer-led bereavement support, friendship, and community to people widowed under the age of 50. Its core offering is an annual membership (£30/year) that grants access to local meet-ups, an online community, and member resources. The charity supplements its support services with revenue-generating activities including a lottery, a member magazine, and an online shop.
Is WAY Widowed and Young a public or private company?
WAY Widowed and Young is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WAY Widowed and Young founded?
WAY Widowed and Young was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WAY Widowed and Young based?
WAY Widowed and Young is headquartered in Lichfield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does WAY Widowed and Young make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising, corporate Partnerships, merchandise Sales and WAY Lottery.
Who are WAY Widowed and Young's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Samaritans, Marie Curie, Together for Short Lives, Sue Ryder and Mind. Direct peers are Cruse Bereavement Support, Winston's Wish, The Compassionate Friends and Childhood Bereavement UK. Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity) is listed as a regional player.
Does WAY Widowed and Young have an API?
No public API is recorded for WAY Widowed and Young.
What industry is WAY Widowed and Young in?
WAY Widowed and Young's product category is Bereavement Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLADAHAL, Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Hospice-Affiliated/Independent), with a secondary code of HSABAFAI, Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare). Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.