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


Thursday 2 December 2010

End of year round-up.

Yet another 12 months has passed and it has certainly been a busy time.
Here is a list of what has been going on:
Interview on Radio 4.
Mature Times print my letter, several responses.
Facebook group set up.
Letter to local paper.
Bristol City Council response. On Purple pages data base.
Judith Masson, Bristol Uni came to talk to support group.
Letter from Dawn Primarolo MP
Seminar to be held in Bristol, asked to be involved-sadly never took place.
Probably as organisation concerned set tickets at £25!
Monthly adverts in local mags.
Attended a conference in Bristol on the affects of drug and alcohol on families,met lots of organisations who were very interested in The Bristol Grandparents Support Group, contact details given.
Posters in libraries, shops health centres etc.
Start hiring a hall for meetings.
Contacted by a counsellor, wants to give groups details.
Wrote to local MP, after she was elected.
Wrote Sarah Teather MP new minister for Children.
New government announced review to family law.
Wrote article for local paper, on grandchildren's rights.
Government setting up task force to look at contact and non resident parents and grandparents.
BBC rang for my reaction.
Daily Express article.
Went to London to do a podcast.
Presentation for using in schools, request to go and talk to teachers.
Social Services rang wanting groups details.
Letters to newspapers re The Family Justice Review.
Asked to do article for Take-a-Break mag.
Reply from Lambeth Palace giving support.
ITV Daybreak item.
Reply from Bishop of Bristol.
Charlotte Leslie MP attended our meeting ,very supportive.
Lord Chief Justice calls for reforms.
Trustee from Families Need Fathers contacted me.
TV True Vision rang ,re future programme.
Radio Bristol interview.
Bristol Kingswood MP backs motion in 10 minute rule for a Bill for grandchildren's access.
Aled Jones on Radio 2 read out a piece I wrote about our Tree of Hope.
3rd Dec last meeting of 2010.

There are so many people to thank for their wonderful support over the last year, without them I would not be able to carry on. So thank you to all my family,all the grandparents and friends.
Things are moving forward, but we need to keep the pressure on.
There are still OVER ONE MILLION children in the UK denied contact with their grandparents, and we must keep working for them, every child has the right to contact with non-resident parents and grandparents.

The most important thing of all is that 6 grandparents in The Bristol Grandparents Support group have regained contact with their grandchildren. Thats what this is all about.

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