Using widgets instead of sidebar
 

Is it possible to put widgets on the left of the page in the place of a sidebar? I want the option to add content on the left of my page but at the moment using the sidebar I have a lot of white space underneath when the sidebar content runs out. Can I add a new widget that sticks to the left of the page, and allows the main container content to then flow full width once the widget content has stopped?

My site is www.adhdkids.org.uk - currently using WP 3.9 and Atahualpa 3.7.13

You could try adding a new widget area as part of the content (something I've never tried, don't know if it will even work). You moght just add the info as part of the post and set it up like images with an 'alignleft' class and see if that will do it forr you

I would probably use the column function of the Shortcodes Ultimate plugin and set the columns to perhaps 1/4 and 3/4.

Thanks. If I use a plugin to split the page into two columns surely I'll have the same problem - with the smaller column being empty below the widgets?

I can see I can add a new widget area to the top of the content area ... is there any way I can do that and align it to the left?

OK to answer my own question .... no ... the widget still takes up the whole of the top of the container, even if I specify a width. Back to the drawing board!

Like I said, I'd try just adding the info to the post inside a div with a class of alignleft and see if that would work

The Widgets on Pages plugin might do what you want. It's a bit old and will require some CSS to float the content but in a quick test it seemed to work.