Membership Terms & Conditions

1. Eligibility

Membership is open to people who are widowed. In our organisation we define widowed as meaning people whose long-term life partner has died, however long ago, whether married or co-habiting.

Membership is not available to:

• non-widowed people, or friends, relatives, or supporters attending with a widowed person
• people seeking counselling, therapy, or professional support services
• people unwilling or unable to follow the communication and behavioural expectations set out in these Terms

mwf reserves the right to refuse or end membership if eligibility criteria are not met.

Trial Guests

A member may bring one widowed friend to a single trial meeting, as an exception to the rule above, so that friend can experience a group before deciding whether to join. Trial guests must:

• meet the widowed eligibility criteria set out above
• attend as a one-off visit only; a further visit requires the guest to join mwf as a full member first
• follow the same behavioural expectations as members while at the meeting (see Section 5)

mwf does not need to be told in advance that a trial guest is coming.

A member may bring a different trial guest on a future occasion, but only one trial guest may attend with them at a time.

2. Groups and Attendance

• Groups are centrally organised
• Groups meet at a fixed venue, day, and time
• Attendance is optional, but members are expected to respond when asked if they intend to go to a meeting. Habitual failure to respond may result in meetings being cancelled or a member's place being withdrawn.
• mwf may cancel or pause meetings if attendance is too low or for operational reasons

This is necessary so that meetings can be confirmed, cancelled, or paused, in a way that avoids members arriving alone.

Trial guests (see Section 1) are not part of the SMS attendance system and are not counted towards the minimum attendance threshold for a meeting to go ahead.

Groups are not organised or managed by members, all management is the responsibility of mwf.

3. Venues

• Venues are selected and approved by mwf
• Venue details are shared privately with members, not published publicly
• Dogs (except for registered assistance dogs) are not permitted at meetings, regardless of venue policy

Members are expected to purchase a drink at each meeting.

Members should not disclose venue details to non-members or publish them online or offline.

4. Communication

Members must be able to receive and reply to both email and SMS text messages. This is a condition of membership.

Members are responsible for:

• Checking their emails and text messages
• Replying when a response is requested
• Telling us if you change your mobile phone number or email address

mwf does not manage membership or attendance through informal channels such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

Repeated failure to reply to our emails or messages may result in your membership being ended, as we will be unable to organise meetings effectively or administer your membership.

5. Behaviour and Boundaries

Members are expected to:

• Treat other members with kindness and respect
• Respect the privacy and confidentiality of other members
• Wear their badges to group meetings whenever possible

Members must not:

• Dominate conversations
• Pressure others to share personal information
• Attempt to organise or manage the group
• Take on informal leadership roles
• Organise events at meetings that are not offered to the whole group

mwf reserves the right to intervene, set boundaries, or end membership where behaviour is judged to be disruptive, inappropriate, or contrary to the aims of the organisation.

6. Personal Responsibility

Members attend meetings at their own discretion and are responsible for their own wellbeing, behaviour, and personal belongings.

mwf is a social organisation. We do not supervise members, provide care, or take responsibility for members' safety or wellbeing during, before, or after meetings. mwf has no duty of care to supervise or protect members, and nothing in these Terms creates one. This applies equally to any trial guest a member brings under Section 1. Further detail is set out in our Safeguarding Policy.

mwf is not responsible for personal disputes, losses, or incidents between members. Nothing in these terms limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so.

7. Membership and Fees

• Membership is subject to an annual subscription, the current rate is given on the website
• Reduced fees are not offered to new members, but current members on reduced fees will continue on the same basis
• Membership will be charged each year unless the membership has been ended before the renewal date
• Members are responsible for ensuring payment details remain up to date
• Members can end their membership at any time by email to mwf
• mwf may end your membership at its discretion if these terms are not followed or if your behaviour disrupts groups

Refunds

• Members who find that the meetings do not suit them can ask for a refund up to one month after their first scheduled group meeting
• Fees are not refunded due to non-attendance, changes in personal circumstances, or after the initial one-month trial period
• If a group closes permanently and no suitable alternative is available, a pro-rata refund will be offered

8. Changes to These Terms

These terms may be updated from time to time.

• Changes will be communicated by email to all members
• New terms apply from the stated date onwards
• Continued membership indicates acceptance of updated terms

9. Agreement

By joining my widowed friends you confirm that:

• You meet the eligibility criteria
• You understand what mwf is and is not
• You agree to follow these Terms & Conditions