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.

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

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 Habitual failure to respond may result in meetings being cancelled or a member's place being withdrawn.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.

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 communications from mwf by email and by text message (SMS).

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 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
• If a member joins more than one month before their group meetings start, then a pro-rata refund, for the number of months without meetings, will be made. This refund will be made automatically immediately after their second subscription payment

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