Anonymous 2

World Mental Health Day 2019

My husband was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer one week after we got married in October 2016.

After six months of chemo, a subsequent stem cell transplant failed, and the anti-rejection drugs paralysed him. After five months in hospital he was discharged home and I had to do everything for him. I struggled on my own for 18 months before I “cracked”. One day at work I had an intervention from my line and task managers as they were very worried about me, so I sought help from my GP. I was prescribed antidepressants and counselling.

The cracking point for me was when I thought about driving in front of a lorry to end all my anguish.

Thankfully I didn’t, as my husband is a lot better although he is now on haemodialysis due to kidney failure. I still have the occasional “bad” day, but I have good friends that help me talk through it and make sure I go out once a month for some “me” time.

Latest news

Celebrating Ada Lovelace – the worlds’ first computer programmer

Last week, in Ada Lovelace’s honour, a passionate team from AWE welcomed around 70 enthusiastic Year 6 students and their teachers to a STEM event to celebrate science, creativity and resilience. In the early 19th century, long before the digital age, Ada Lovelace laid the groundwork for modern computing. Born in 1815, Ada was fascinated by mathematics […]

Press Releases

22 Oct 2025

Office for Nuclear Regulation investigation findings

Today, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) announced its investigation findings following the fatality of a Balfour Beatty employee in 2023, who was working in a construction enclave on AWE’s Aldermaston site.

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75 Years of AWE: A landmark innovation showcase

On 16 October, AWE marked a major milestone in its history with the ‘AWE75: Proud of our past. Prepared for our future.’ event at the Institution of Civil Engineers, London. The event saw over 100 guests from across government, academia and the defence community gather to commemorate AWE’s legacy and look ahead to our future.