Army Widows Association

Letter from our Chairwoman

Amanda Limb - Chairwoman 

In September 2007 Heather Saunders stepped down as the first Chairwoman of AWA.  The committee voted me as successor to Heather.  A daunting task but one which I will try to carry out to the best of my ability.
 
Although the AWA was not officially formed until August 2004, there had been much work done to form an organisation which would support recent Army widows (and widowers/recognised partners) and their children since late 2000.  None of us ever expected to be widowed at such an early age, and in spite of support from our own families and friends there are areas where the Army has responsibility to oversee the aftercare to a widow and her children.
 
We now have very good routes in to the Army system and are able to raise matters and make suggestions as to how the care to widows can be improved.  Our voice is being listened to and over the last few years the 'system' has improved but, as always, changes take time. We have helped with the making of the new training DVD for all Visiting Officers, a valuable experience for both sides.  It is important that if you have a problem you should let us know, if you don't, the same problem could then become a problem for someone else. Everyone has a different set of circumstances and reasons as to how they became a widow which means we all ask different questions and have different requirements of the system.  However, our common bond is that we were all married to someone serving in the Army.
 
As well as liaising with the Army on behalf of widows, the Association offers support and friendship to widows (and their children) and we hope to be able to make the transition from being a wife to a widow a little easier.  Some of us have been on this journey longer than others but we are all able to bring our experiences together to help others.  There are so many things to do in the early stages of bereavement and then as time passes there are other matters to be addressed.  One of the strengths of the AWA is that we have a very broad range of ages and experiences so someone will probably have the answer to your question or be able to talk you through procedures concerning a certain situation, such as a Board of Inquiry, Coroner's Inquest or how to fill in the forms when your child takes a gap year before going on to university so that their pension can be reinstated.  Although we are all volunteers and carry out our Committee roles from home, we are all committed to offering support to new widows.  You can email us through the website or use the contact telephone number given.
 
Once a year in the summer we hold a weekend get-together at Amport House near Andover.  It is a beautiful place (even better when the sun shines!) and we have it all to ourselves.  We have a varied programme, we cover serious issues but there is also time for relaxation and lots of chatting and putting the world to rights.  We believe that it is a very beneficial couple of days, lots of information available, views exchanged and the opportunity to raise issues with personnel from PS4 at Upavon.  It is an emotional weekend but we all gain a great deal of strength from those around us and it is at this point that many ladies attending for the first time, realise that they are not alone.  There are always tears but also the realisation that we are allowed to smile, laugh and enjoy ourselves.  Our lives have changed but they must go on.  Friendships are formed and frequently people get together when they realise there is another widow living nearby.  We issue a Newsletter to all those on our Contacts List twice a year, an opportunity for us to pass on information and to let you know about other events you might like to attend.
 
Our tag line is 'Supporting today's widows' - something I really hope we are able to do.