Turning Pain into Purpose
- Apr 21
- 1 min read
In 2017, I was living my best life. I was married to my soulmate, Andy, running a successful business, and raising our son. Then, in an instant, everything changed.
Losing Andy was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced. But through that raw, unimaginable grief, I found a new mission. I realised that while our "club" has the highest price of admission, no one should have to walk that path alone.
I recently sat down with Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe on the Meet the Mancunian podcast to share my journey, from the early days of loss to founding The Widowed Collective. A huge thank you to Deepa for being such a sensitive and thoughtful host; she creates such a safe space for these honest conversations.
We talked about:
✨ Why I’m so passionate about building inclusive communities.
✨ The gap in support for widows and widowers (especially those over 51).
✨ My own journey through sobriety and the power of self-care.
✨ How we are building a national movement right here from Manchester.
If you’ve ever wondered how to "push water uphill" to create something meaningful out of a tragedy, I hope my story offers some light.
Listen to the full episode here: https://www.meetthemancunian.co.uk/turning-pain-into-purpose-with-nicky-wake/
