No to Shared Parenting, how dare they.

This appears to be the end of Shared Parenting.
http://www.family-lawfirm.co.uk/blog/2013/07/the-great-shared-parenting-illusion/
Well, all I can say to all involved in this, God help you if it ever happens to you.
My heart goes out to the millions of children cut out of one of their parents lives and the next million who will follow.
Jane.

Meeting.

Don't forget meeting this week on Friday at 2pm.
There will be cake!
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

My MP has signed, has yours?

Many thanks to Charlotte Leslie MP who has signed the Early Day Motion on Shared Parenting
http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2013-14/210
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Grandparents to provide children with alternative to foster care, in Carolina

http://www.powdersvillepost.com/view/full_story/23162202/article-Grandparents--rights-provide-children-with-alternative-to-foster-care

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

The Prince of Wales reaction to grandparenthood.

Congratulations to The Prince of Wales, it is indeed a unique moment when you become a grandparent.

The British Monarchy

11 hours ago · London, England

The Prince of Wales said this evening:

“Both my wife and I are overjoyed at the arrival of my first grandchild. It is an incredibly special moment for William and Catherine and we are so thrilled for them on the birth of their baby boy.

"Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone’s life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future.”

Jane

www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Feminism has a lot to answer for.

It seems the backlash on Feminism is global
Anti-feminism posters pop up in Saskatoon - Saskatchewan - CBC News www.cbc.caSome unsusual posters carrying controversial messages have been popping up on Saskatoon streets.

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Parental Alienation Research

If you have experienced Parental Alienation, Teeside Uni are doing research on the issue follow the link  to do the online survey
http://qsortonline.com/qsort/LEAP/ 

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Don't forget our website!

Someone has just said to me, I didn't know you had a website!
Just incase you need reminding, you can read all about us, our story, what we do etc, hopefully some helpful advice.
Here is the link : www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk
Jane

Help for denied contact grandparents.

If you are denied contact with your grandchildren due to family breakdown we are here to give you advice and support, no membership fee required.
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

How do we fund our group and keep our independence?

I was asked this week about funding and why we run a support group without membership fees.
I  posted about this many, many months ago but it is worth reiterating my reasons for being as independent as possible from any other organisation.
The reason why I set up the group is now well known, I am a grandparent who is denied contact with my granddaughter and I am a mum whose son is denied contact with his daughter, it is now over 6 years.
It is important to me that I can say what I want to say,when I want to say it and to whom I want to without having to seek permission from an HQ, to see if it is acceptable or is within an organisations policy.
I had no idea how large the group was going to become or how many grandparents would get in touch with me, I have lost exact count now but it is well over 1,000.
Of course as we grew I wanted to get publicity information,website etc done which was going to incur costs, I had already decided that I was never going to have a membership fee, so I had to start to think of different options. We wrote a constitution and appointed trustees (who are grandparents within the group) and I began the arduous task of seeking out funding.
I was successful in getting a small grant from Quartet Community Funding, next  our local Neighbourhood Partnership. I also was successful in our group being  one of Waitrose Community Matters recipients.
I had some private donations as well. Many Thanks as always.
That enabled me to get posters, leaflets and banners designed and printed and Bristol Grandparents Support Group website was also born!
I am often approached by firms of solicitors asking if they can advertise on the site, the answer is always the same, NO THANK YOU, you can't be totally independent in my opinion if you start going down that route.
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

MP's Response to Shared Parenting.

As if we needed evidence of way this government has not got the where with all to support Shared Parenting, here is a response to a grandparent from her MP:

Dear Mrs ..........

Thank you for your email.   I am very sorry that we have not been able to make more progress on this sad matter.  I fully appreciate the case you make for shared parenting but, as is clear from the ministerial responses, there is no way we can interfere with court decisions.  Please keep me updated with any developments.

I am at a loss actually to understand what on earth he is talking about! Legislation for Shared Parenting is not about interfering with court decisions.
Well, dear ministers I pray that none of you are ever faced with your children being alienated and your contact stopped. Believe me it can and does happen to anyone.

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Home Alone.

NSPCC leaflet  entitled "Home Alone" a guide for parents on keeping your child safe?
When I read the title I couldn't quite get my head around it!

Also it says "its never worth putting your child's safety or emotional well being at risk."
I would like to know what the views are from the NSPCC on Parental Alienation as that is clearly putting children's emotional well -being at risk?

Interesting definition of neglect,

What is neglect?

"If you fail to meet your child’s basic needs, such as food and warm clothing, fail to respond to your child’s emotional needs or constantly leave your child alone this is known as neglect. Neglect is as serious as other forms of child abuse because the effects can be damaging and long-lasting."

"constantly leave your child alone" CONSTANTLY- is it ok occasionally then?

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/help-and-advice/for-parents-and-carers/guides-for-parents/home-alone/home-alone-pdf_wdf90656.pdf …

Annies' Story- this is what denying contact really causes.

This is the most moving post I have ever read.
http://karenwoodall.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/children-on-the-transition-bridge-annies-story/
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Email your MP today before they recess.

Please email your MP today about this it is important to get as many MP's to sign as possible :

SHARED PARENTING RIGHTS AND THE FAMILY COURTS

http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2013-14/210

Jane

Update on reform in Family Courts.

PFD update of process reform - July 2013 (PDF 45kb)
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Enforcement of contact orders, are the Family Courts getting it right?

Please note the professor involved.
http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/enforcement%20briefing%20paper%20final.pdf

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Leading Women 4 Shared Parenting

Please find time to endorse this statement.
http://lw4sp.org
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Parents should be prosecuted for not loving or ignoring their children?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/10176282/Parents-should-be-prosecuted-for-not-loving-or-ignoring-their-children.html

As this government won't even legislate for Shared Parenting, which without it is causing emotional abuse to children as being denied contact with both parents and the very serious emotional abuse of  Parental Alienation, so how on earth will they legislate and police this?

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Let us all raise a standard.

I was asked today how I felt about the government not legislating for Shared Parenting.
Was I angry?
Am I angry, no, as I didn't think it would ever happen anyway.
It seems to me that it was a complete waste of public money, setting up various working groups, consultation after consultation when the powers that be were going to allow the single parent family groups and extreme feminists to batter their way through.
The false hope that it gave non-resident parents and grandparents is unforgivable.
When is this country going to have the b....  to enforce contact orders when broken, a resident parent who is emotionally abusing their children by denying them contact with the non-resident parent are breaking the law, a contact order is a legal agreement.
The Centre for Social Justice reports states that over one million children are growing up in the UK without their dads in their lives, so what are they going to do about it?
Nothing.
So where do we go from here?
Answers on a post-card!
This might be the time to walk away and say enough is enough, the trouble with that is, if we don't keep on saying the same thing, trying to get everyone and anyone to listen,  for us all to accept we have a responsibility to a whole generation of children to get this right.
Time is not on our side, it is ticking away.

There are many politicians who agree with  legislation for Shared Parenting but because of pressures from others ditch their own personal beliefs, as George Washington said,
"If to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the event is in the hand of God."

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

All paid for by the tax payer?

Interesting information on Twitter.


https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209683/judicial-salaries-schedule-13-14.pdf …
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209684/judicial-fees-schedule-13-14.pdf …

Live web chat today, on grandparents site.

Live webchat at 4:30 today
http://www.gransnet.com/forums/grandparenting/1199430-Grandparents-rights-family-law-webchat-Weds-10-July-4-30-5-30pm?msgid=25079047#25079047

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Karen's Imagine If...........

People ask what can be done about denied contact in all its forms, I would suggest you read Karen Woodall's latest post and give your thoughts.
http://karenwoodall.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/imagine-if/

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Come on I am talking to you................

If you wish to read The Centre of Social Justice Report on family breakdown here is the link:
http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/UserStorage/pdf/Pdf%20reports/CSJ_Fractured_Families_Report_WEB_13.06.13.pdf


When I read this paragraph I am ashamed of this country,

-Today, seven years on since our 2006 report, Fractured Families, the UK is experiencing historically unprecedented levels of family breakdown and has one of the highest rates in the Western world. About 300,000 families separate each year and over four million children do not live with both their parents.-

With all these reports being churned out, I wonder if they are worth the paper they are written on? Of course the answer is no, you can't ague with the statistics, they are fact.
So all we get is a government playing lip service and making promises that they never keep. Continuing to let families down, most importantly the children.
We were given the impression that government would legislate for Shared Parenting , which clearly is not going to happen.
It's OK though, because when couples separate they will be ENCOURAGED to mediate and to realise the importance of BOTH parents.
Anyone who is involved in this issue, knows that is going to work? Well, No it won't.
The numbers of children being abused by denied contact will continue to rise, because no-one has the political desire to stop it.
Contact orders are broken every minute of every day, and the consequences of that?
There aren't any, you can apparently just break the order, and nothing will happen. Funny I would have thought it would be breaking the law, Oh silly me!
Oh and I nearly forgot, what if your child/grandchild apparently says they don't want to have anything to do with you, Um that's  OK as well, they must have said it? 
Did they?
Some people wonder why on earth some non resident parents and grandparents take extreme action to try and get someone to listen, maybe you need to ask yourself, what would you do if suddenly you no longer could see or talk to your children/grandchildren, and please don't think, it could never happen to you.
It can, and it does!
Yet another report says that the first 6 years of a child's life is when they learn likes,dislikes,fear etc. So if a child is hearing one parent bad mouthing the other for a period of time they believe it, and it becomes ingrained.
In the remotest of chances that any young person out there is reading this who is apart from a parent/grandparent, please remember that you are loved and cherished in the hearts of us all, you have not been forgotten the door is always open for you. Your parent/grandparent is trying everything in their power to be able to hold you again. If there is a way of you communicating with them perhaps via social media, don't hold back,give it a go, we are all here just waiting. It is not about the past, of things that may or may not have been said or done, it is about the future and where we go from here, together.

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Will we never learn.

Yet another daming report about how children from broken families can be effected for life.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2357192/Divorce-The-terrible-toll-making-divorce-easier-Children-likely-violent-drugs-underage-sex.html

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Raising money for Families Need Fathers.

This is from one of the grandparents in the group, please support if you can:

"My son  is doing a marathon cycle ride L’Etap du Tour on Sunday 7th along with thousands of amateur cyclists in northern France.They will be cycling 130 Km of mountainous roads along the penultimate lap of the Tour du France.

Any money raised will be donated to ‘ Families need Fathers’."

http://www.justgiving.com/Dave-Partington1

Jane

www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

A Grandmothers Protest.

Grandmothers protest in Bristol http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Gran-s-night-roof-tiles-St-George-act-protest/story-19462711-detail/story.html
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

The Children and Families Bill- latest.

You will need to scroll down to the Children and Families Paragraph and then about the 11th paragraph
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201314/ldhansrd/text/130702-0001.htm#13070283000466

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk

Webchat with a part-time judge!

I have been asked to flag up a webchat that will be taking place on another website, your input might be useful?
http://www.gransnet.com/forums/grandparenting/1199430-Grandparents-rights-family-law-webchat-Weds-10-July-4-30-5-30pm?msgid=25079047#25079047

Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk