Members of the charity WAY - Widowed and Young - rolled their picnic blankets out in the sunshine at the mere in Ellesmere.

The annual picnic gives the opportunity for people who have been widowed at a young age to interact with other bereaved families.

Local member of the group, Alison Utting said: "It was a lovely afternoon. The kids loved spending time together in the park and by the mere, while the grown-ups shared conversation and cake - baked by a new member who joined us for the first time.

"It was a fantastic celebration of friendship and support, although we all wish we'd never been eligible to join WAY we are all very glad we found it."

WAY is a charity that supports anyone aged 50 or under who is overcoming the loss of a partner – whether they were married or not, with or without children, whatever their sexual orientation. It’s a peer-to-peer support network run by volunteers who have been bereaved at a young age themselves, so they understand exactly what other members are going through. It was begun when journalist Caroline Sarll discovered there was no support for her sister, whose husband died when she was 35.

That was in 1997, so WAY celebrates its 21st anniversary this year. WAY was founded in 1997 and now has more than 2,700 members across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. However, there are an estimated 80,000 people across the country who have been widowed under the age of 50 and who could benefit from WAY’s support. The Shropshire group currently has 57 members.