Caribbean widows in the UK
For Caribbean widows in the UK, women who know
If you are a woman of Caribbean heritage living in the UK and you have lost your husband or partner, African Caribbean Widows UK is a community of women who understand both your loss and your culture. Whether your family is Jamaican, Trinidadian, Barbadian, Guyanese, St Lucian, Grenadian, Vincentian or from anywhere in the Caribbean, you are welcome.
Join the communityThe ways we remember
Many Caribbean families mark a death with a nine night, gatherings at the family home in the days after someone passes, with hymns, food, prayers and stories, coming together on the ninth night. Then comes the funeral, the repast, and the long road afterwards.
Those traditions hold a family together. But when the house goes quiet again, many widows find themselves alone with a grief that friends outside the culture don't always understand.
Generations of family here
Many Caribbean families have been in the UK for generations, from the Windrush generation to their children and grandchildren, while others came more recently. A widow may have lost a husband of fifty years, or a partner far too young.
Whatever your story, here you will find women who know the hymns, the food, the gatherings and the grief.
Going at your own pace
There is no right time to reach out. Some women join in the first raw months, others years later. You can listen first, and share only when, and if, you feel ready.
Common questions
Is there a support group for Jamaican widows in the UK?
African Caribbean Widows UK welcomes widows of all Caribbean heritages living in the UK, including Jamaican women, alongside women of African heritage. You can join online from anywhere in the UK.
What is a nine night?
A nine night is a Caribbean mourning tradition, especially associated with Jamaica, in which family and friends gather at the home of the person who has died over the nights after the death, sharing food, hymns, prayers and memories, with the largest gathering on the ninth night.
I lost my husband many years ago. Is it too late to join?
Not at all. Grief doesn't follow a timetable. Some of our members lost their partner recently, others many years ago.