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


Sunday 16 February 2014

Why join a support group?

When I first set up BGSG a grandparent said to me, "I don't want to join a group that makes me feel worse than I do already."
They are words that I try to keep in mind at all times.
By the very nature of being a support group, those who need support are sad, angry and bewildered, it is important of course to allow members to be open and honest about their feelings.
As I am often the first point of contact, grandparents are able to unload their most personal feelings, to a complete stranger, but I hope someone who listens and understands.   Hopefully, no longer a stranger by the end of our conversation. In complete confidence.
So why join a support group in the first place?
I don't think that I can really answer that it is for others to do that.
What I don't want is for anyone to think  that our meetings are full of tears and great sadness, there is an element of that but because of the support that members give to one another it actually is a positive and uplifting couple of hours.
As  Marc and I see everyone out at the end of the afternoon no-one leaves without a smile on their face.
We enjoy ourselves so much 16 of us are off to have lunch together in March!
Jane
www.bristolgrandparentssupportgroup.co.uk




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