A Huddersfield woman is helping launch a new campaign to support people grieving the loss of a partner this Christmas. Natalie Bolton, 49, has joined forces with fellow widows Nicky Wake, Heather Smith and Rosie Moss to create #WidowedAtChristmas, offering community and comfort during a time of year that can feel overwhelmingly isolating after bereavement.
All four women are board members of The Widowed Collective, the free, peer-to-peer support organisation set up earlier this year. Throughout December, the group will share stories, guidance and resources, and is encouraging widows and widowers across the UK to join the conversation using the campaign hashtag.
Natalie, who grew up in Slaithwaite, met her husband Jonathan while they were working in Huddersfield. They married in 2002 and had twin daughters, Amelia and Isobel, in 2007. Jonathan died suddenly from a cardiac arrest in March 2021, leaving Natalie to raise their children alone.
She said their first Christmas without him was “awful” and “unbearable”, and the family spent it in Mauritius to escape the pain of being at home. As she prepares to host Christmas again this year, she says the season can hold “joy and sadness at the same time”, adding, “Grief doesn’t take a holiday. You’re allowed to scale things back or create new traditions.”
Launched earlier this year, The Widowed Collective provides free online and in-person meet-ups, practical advice and a moderated online community for anyone who has lost a romantic partner. In December, it is also offering free weekly online drop-in sessions every Monday evening, including Christmas week.
More information about #WidowedAtChristmas and The Widowed Collective can be found at TheWidowedCollective.com.
