Livia is a singer–songwriter and has been fundraising for Winston’s Wish through her single ‘annual festive linger’. Livia’s motivation behind fundraising to help support bereaved children and young people is because of the lack of support she was offered by people around her when she was 17 and her mum died in 2021.
My mum, Claire, died in 2021 when I was 17. She raised me by herself and sacrificed everything so that I could have the best childhood possible. She was my best friend and I miss her so dearly. My mum battled bowel cancer for 18 months and I felt so unsupported throughout by the adults around me. I wasn’t able to spend much time with my mum due to the lockdowns and hospital restrictions. It was a really difficult time.
My college knew of my situation and other than one amazing teacher who gave me a safe space in her classroom away from caring for my mum, I was offered no support. I found I was also treated differently than the adults around me (also experiencing the same bereavement), who were offered various support opportunities by hospices and organisations, whilst I was ignored.
I discovered Winston’s Wish in 2025 through an amazing pair of sisters, who run a grief podcast and social media channels called, ‘If We Don’t Laugh, We’ll Cry’. I couldn’t recommend following them enough to anybody experiencing grief, but particularly daughters who’ve lost their mum. Alicia and Amie have helped me feel so much less alone.
I’m a singer-songwriter, and I wrote a song in 2022 called ‘annual festive linger’ when all of my friends had gone home from university for Christmas, and I was left behind, knowing I’d never have the happy family things I watched everyone else have. I played the song online and live and it quickly became a fan favourite. When I recorded a version for a Christmas Day radio show, I decided I’d release it for digital download, with half of the proceeds going to Winston’s Wish.
Given the context of the song and the lack of support I received after my mum’s death, the thought of anyone else ever feeling unsupported like I did really upsets me. Knowing my work and donation can directly cover the costs of a young person’s support during their hardest time, helps heal the part of me that didn’t have the same thing.
Through creativity and connecting with her audience, Livia has found a unique way to express her grief while raising vital funds for bereavement support. Winston’s Wish supports young people up to the age of 25 who are bereaved (no matter how long ago) or facing the death of someone important.
Something I was most looking forward to when releasing this single was seeing my fans finally being able to listen to this song that they’ve connected with so much, whilst also raising money for something close to the song topic and my heart. My biggest challenge with this project was recording such a personal song, I’m a perfectionist with my music so it was a difficult balance to juggle the emotions that came with also making a good sounding track.
I’m so proud to have built a small but mighty community that not only support my music, but are happy to spend a few pounds to help towards care that is often overlooked for young people experiencing bereavement. I’m so glad to have music as my therapy to help through grief, and to then use it for good cause. Although it’s (technically) a Christmas song, you can still download ‘annual festive linger’ from the merch section of my website – liviamackenziemusic.com.
Ways you can get involved
Inspired to support grieving children and young people? From taking on a challenge to arranging a coffee morning, there are lots of ways you can get involved and fundraise for Winston’s Wish. Visit our Fundraising section to find out more.
