What can you expect from Bristol Grandparents Support Group?

In a previous blog I posed the question, 'Why join a support group?'
To follow on from that, you may be asking what qualifies us to run a support group.
The  answer is because we are going through it, we understand and know the hurt that is involved.
Although it was 2007 when  we had any contact with our granddaughter, it feels just like yesterday.
I remember so clearly my immediate reaction.
I thought this is ridiculous, this can't be happening, it will be OK.
As time went on, I realised that things were very far from OK, so what should I do about it?
As a grandparent you somehow feel, mistakenly, that you can sort it all out.
You soon find that you can't.
I know that I was astounded to find out that grandparents had no automatic legal right to see their grandchildren, talking to lawyers etc it became clear that it was a minefield, and did we really want to go down that path?
We made a decision not to take it to court, we all felt that our granddaughter had to live her life, in the way her resident parent wanted her to and that by us going to court etc it would make it increasingly difficult for her.
She had to be allowed to get on with her life.
Having made that very hard decision, I moved on to another stage, how to turn this awful situation into something more positive.
For me the answer was trying to link up with other grandparents in my area that were going through the same thing.
1,000 plus grandparents later from all over the UK and beyond, every single grandparent who has ever contacted me, is qualified to be part of the group, they have empathy, experience and great listening ears.
Its simple, they just know.
If you find yourself in this situation, don't think you are alone, you are not and we are here to help.
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupporgroup.co.uk