Welcome.


Hi everyone and welcome to Bristol Grandparents Support Group blog. Although we are Bristol based we have grandparents from all over the UK and beyond as members.

It is estimated that over one million children in the UK are denied contact with their grandparents due to family breakdown which may have been caused by divorce/separation, alcohol/drug dependency,domestic violence,bereavement or family feud.
Every child has the right to have contact with their grandparents
if they wish and unless proven unsafe for them to do so. To deny contact from a parent or grandparent has to become as socially unacceptable as drink driving.
I hope to keep you up to date with what is going on in BGSG and I shall continue to campaign for the rights of children to have a loving and meaningful relationship with both parents and their extended family. So please join in as good to hear your views, not just mine!
I also will support via Skype.
There is no membership fee to be part of Bristol Grandparents Support Group.
Esther Rantzen says, " To every grandparent, links of love can never be broken in our hearts."

Please contact during office hours.
07773258270


Saturday 25 February 2012

You ARE the EXPERTS.

There has been huge interest in setting up of local groups, if you are thinking "I could do that." Get in touch.
If you hear people say things like,"You need training it needs to be an expert," don't let it put you off.
As far as being an expert is concerned, we ARE the experts, because we are going through this heartbreaking situation. We are the ones who know exactly how others are feeling, that is not something that can be taught, you just know.
Most people have the capacity to listen, to be non-judgemental and to empathise.
Support can be done over the phone or email, you don't have to hold meetings.
I was asked about how to run a meeting.
As I have written on the website, the group needs to be run by its members, ask them in what direction they want to go in, what they want out of the group. They need to be informal, non-threating just like minded people getting together,sharing their stories and supporting each other.
Of course when you are talking to someone, you only hear one side of the story, but you have to take them at face value, we are not in the blame-game.
There are of course some do's & don'ts .

: Never give out any details, names, contact details to anyone. Without their permission.
: Never talk to media about a situation that may well be going through legal proceedings.
: Never use your grandchildren's names to media etc.
: Never give out photos of grandchildren to media.
: Anything that is said to you is confidential, if you have meetings start by saying that anything that is said within that meeting is also confidential.
: Do produce cake at meeting!!!!!!!
It is a SUPPORT group, nothing more nothing less.
As I keep harping back to is, when a grandparent rings (which in itself is the most difficult step) they all say, "thank goodness, I thought I was the only one."
So give it thought, and ask me if you think it is something you would like to do.
Jane

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Emotion abound.

Gosh, what a week and its only Wednesday!
I have been so moved by the grandparents who have been in touch since the Radio 4 programme.
People apparently crying over their breakfast, pulling into laybys to listen and tears pouring down their faces , re-listening to it on iplayer, goodness me.
All of this because we are not allowed to be part of our grandchildrens' lives.
Such sadness for us all and no answers.
All we can do is to keep hoping, and have faith in our hope, that one day all will work out, and that the children will be able to be part of our lives, which is their right.
Jane


Tuesday 21 February 2012

Phenomenal response to interview.

Thank you so much for the response to the one to one interview that was on Radio 4 this morning.
The response has been extraordinary and I will write to everyone as soon as I can.
Here is the link if you missed it!

Jane

Monday 20 February 2012

What is an Harassment Order?

"There needs to be at least two separate occasions of conduct which, together, can be said to amount to harassment. This is where the apparent need for a harassment warning comes in – a single act on its own cannot amount to a "course of conduct".

The warning lets the individual know that a complaint has been received and that a charge may follow if the conduct complained of is repeated.

A harassment warning is not a criminal conviction – simply a notice that a complaint has been received. The behaviour complained of, by itself, does not amount to a crime.

The person who is sent the warning can lodge a formal complaint (in the first instance to the police force that issued the warning and by appeal thereafter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, IPCC)."

Article 6 of the Human Rights Act protects your right to a fair trial in criminal and civil proceedings. It states that:

"In the determination of his civil rights and obligations or of any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law".

Thursday 16 February 2012

Nationwide Support.

Don't forget if you are interested in setting up a group for grandparents denied contact with their grandchildren, get in touch and I can give you advice and will help you in any way I can. I have posters and leaflets for info.
Jane.

Saturday 11 February 2012

Our group is specifically for denied contact.

There are many support group around the country, that deal with issues to do with grandparents, grandparents as Kinship Carers, Grandparents and Toddler groups etc, our support group is specifically for grandparents who are denied contact.
We welcome Mums and Dads as well who are denied contact, we are all going through the trauma of not seeing children, be it our own or our grandparents.
Jane

Friday 10 February 2012

Interview with Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.

A reminder of interview with radio 4 is on Feb 21st 9;30 am.

"Journalist and broadcaster Yasmin Alibhai-Brown presents the first of three interviews exploring the many ways families are altered by divorce. She begins by meeting Jane, who has not seen her grand-daughter for four years following the collapse of her son's marriage. Jane discusses how she set up a support group for other grandparents coping with what she describes as a living bereavement."

Jane


Monday 6 February 2012

A guide for Children and Young People on Family Justice Report

https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-00003-2012.pdf

Jane

Government Announcement.

http://www.familylaw.co.uk/system/uploads/attachments/0003/9761/GovtResponse-FamilyJusticeReview.pdf

Jane

I await the government announcement.

I have just posted a link to DM article.
I would read with an open mind, it seems to me that it is a continuation of what was in the Norgrove report. In that couples will be encouraged to sign a Parenting Agreement and within that the importance of grandparents will be encouraged.
I might be completely wrong, but it is the DM headline and we have seen them like this before.
It is imperative that parents come first, they must address shared parenting first.
Jane

Grandparents Importance

Article in DM this morning.

Jane

Sunday 5 February 2012

Who is a single parent?

When a couple separate, for some extraordinary reason one of them becomes a 'single' parent, there is no such thing.
Two people create children, the term should be a 'separated' parent.
The only true definition of a 'single' parent, would be someone who have tragically lost their partner.

Jane

Grandparents, Mums and Dads

We all have a common denominator, none of us are seeing our children. All of us are feeling the isolation and heartbreak, from not being allowed to be in our 'children's' lives.
For me our group should be all inclusive and we welcome grandparents,mums and dads, we will support you all.
Jane.

Friday 3 February 2012

Mums Denied Contact.

If you are a Mum who has been denied contact with your children and would like to talk to other Mums in the same situation, please get in touch with me.
Jane

Important Date Change.

Good to see everyone this afternoon, thank you for making the effort to turn out on such a cold afternoon.
For those of you not here, important date change, I had next meeting down as April 6th, and I didn't realise that it is in fact Good Friday! So apologies and the date is now APRIL 13th at 2pm.
it has been a busy day, done interview with Radio Bristol and Radio Leeds, then meeting!
So feet up with a cuppa.
Jane

Both Parents to have contact.

This is the best news I have heard in 5 years, if correct.
On radio Bristol after 9am to talk about it.
Jane

Thursday 2 February 2012

ITV This Morning

I understand that This Morning is featuring grandmother denied contact for 14 years tomorrow.
I think it is the grandmother who was in the paper recently.
If you have comments to make email the show.
Jane