A Note from AndreaHi, welcome to the fourth my widowed friends newsletter. I’m Andrea. I founded mwf and write these monthly newsletters to share what’s happening across our growing community. Group NewsThese groups will all be running by the end of January: Truro, Bude, St Austell, Helston, Falmouth, Newquay, Launceston, Liskeard, Hayle, Penzance, Saltash and Wadebridge. There is also a monthly Saturday group in Truro for younger members and those who still work and cannot get to the weekday meets. Camborne and Bodmin groups are waiting for a few more members to join. Christmas and New Year MeetingsThis year both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on Thursdays, which is when most of our groups meet. So, I think it is best that all Thursday groups will meet on 18th December and then not until 8th January. If your group decides they want to do something different then let me know and I will send out a group email for you, to make sure everyone in the group knows. If you want an extra meeting between 18th and 8th, then arrange a date and time between you at your next group meeting and let me know. Tuesday and Wednesday groups can continue to meet as normal. Groups Thrive When Everyone Plays a PartOur groups work because members make them warm, welcoming and active. mwf sets the venue, time and membership for each group, but what happens week-to-week grows out of what you, as members, bring to it. A few things really help groups flourish: • Bring ideas and energy.
If you’d like to arrange an outing or a simple get-together outside the weekly coffee meet, please do. There are ideas on the website under “News”. These should complement—rather than replace—the weekly coffee meeting, which stays as the fixed anchor for your group. • Come when you can.
The more regularly people attend, the easier it is for friendships to form and for newcomers to feel at ease. • Make communication easy.
Many groups find a WhatsApp group useful for sharing updates or arranging extra activities. If you set one up, please help anyone who isn’t confident with WhatsApp so that no one is left out. • Keep the weekly meeting consistent.
The coffee meeting needs to stay at the same time and place every week so that all members—including brand-new ones—always know where to go. If your group decides not to meet one week (for example, if lots of people are away), just let me know and I’ll send a group message out to all the group members. • Leave any changes to mwf.
Any alteration to venues, times or structure must be made centrally by mwf, not by members. This ensures fairness, accessibility and consistency across all groups. I’m very happy to talk through suggestions and provided any proposed venue meets mwf’s criteria for location, accessibility, size and year-round availability, I will gladly consider it. Your feedback on venues is always welcome. Christmas CallsI have sent all members an email about Christmas Calls. The idea is to pair up members who would like a quick call on Christmas Day. It’s ideal for anyone who is on their own or anyone who just wants a friendly chat with another mwf member. You can choose phone calls or WhatsApp video calls. Check your emails for more details and how to join in. Stay ConnectedVisit our website: www.mywidowedfriends.co.uk Find us on Facebook: (1) Facebook Email Andrea: andrea@mywidowedfriends.co.uk I will be taking some time off between 23rd December and 2nd Jan. I will check emails most days, but please be patient if you don’t get a quick reply. I won’t be available for phone calls or WhatsApp messages. And FinallyBest wishes to you all for a peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year.I hope many of you will have plans for some fun over the festive season. If however you are recently widowed or still struggling with grief at Christmas then I’ve written a short article with some tips that might help a little bit. It’s at https://andreabeck.substack.com/p/christmas-can-feel-hard-when-youre?r=2f4drc Andrea | 