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


Friday 26 October 2012

What are we doing to the children?


This morning I sat through a 2nd reading of a private members draft Bill on FAMILY JUSTICE (TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND COST OF LIVING) .
It began at 9:30am and finished around 2pm!
I find it astonishing to see that so few MP's actually turn up to the House of Commons for readings such as this.
There were 12, but they didn't all stay.
Every MP who spoke pressed the importance of grandparents in children's' lives, providing stability especially when family breakdown occurs.
One MP told of a constituent who is a grandfather.
Grandad had always been very involved in his grandsons life, his daughter and husband split and the daughter went to live with her father (Grandad) and her son.Tragically his daughter died.
It was deemed in the 'child's best interest' to be sent to the other end of the country to live with his Dad. His Dad had seen very little of his son up to this point, had a history and convictions of drug dependancy, and other criminal activities.
The Grandad, has had no contact since.
How can this possibly be in the 'child's best interest,' he is now truanting from school, is disruptive and his general behaviour is cause for concern.
I hear similar cases like this all the time, how can it happen?
Although the guidance is there, time and time again children are being let down by the system that is supposed to be in place to safeguard them.
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

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