The widow of a man who died prematurely, leaving behind their two young daughters, has launched a campaign to encourage more people to talk about the often taboo subject of early death.

Scott Everett, who lived in Stevenage with his wife Catherine and their children Anna and Evie, died in July 2019 after a two-and-a-half year battle with motor neurone disease. He was just 48 years old and his daughters were only seven and four when he died.

Catherine, who has become an accredited wellbeing life coach since Scott's death, has launched a campaign - Lighten your Loss - in a bid to encourage more people to talk about the premature death of loved ones - a subject often skirted around, she has learnt through her own experience.

Catherine said: "Have you ever considered how isolating it is to be bereaved of a partner earlier than expected in life, especially when nobody knows what to say to you?

"I'm on a mission to connect 1,000 people who have suffered the loss of someone they love, to bring their stories to life - maybe even start a movement.

"For me, this is personal. Since losing Scott I have felt alone quite often, but talking about him regularly helps us keep him in the present in both mine and my children's lives and, consequently, makes us feel more connected, more normal.

"Over the next six weeks I'm going to be leading the Lighten your Loss campaign, to help people overcome the awkwardness and get people talking.

"This is specifically aimed at people who have lost someone they love too early, who have got to keep going, particularly if there is a young family involved. I'm also looking for the people around them who want to support better."

If you would like to get involved in the campaign, simply post a picture on social media of the person you have lost, perhaps with your story or your favourite memory of them, together with #lightenyourloss.

Catherine said: "Please share and get involved in this campaign so that everyone knows how proud you are of your story.

"I really look forward to sharing this journey with you, and let's all lighten our load by sharing our loss."

You can also join the campaign at blueskyvitality.co.uk, in The Love and Loss Coach section.