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, 9 March 2014

Organisations with no principles.

When I set up BGSG in 2007, I had strong principles that I hope I have struck to, I have had some bad experiences that have made me look at other organisations principles and to question some of them.
The focus  for me has always been and will continue to be the children who find themselves in this bewildering situation.
It is a support group, here to listen and understand.
To be empathetic and to celebrate good things that do happen.
As we are an independent group we don't have to tow any 'party' line, we do not have to be affiliated or linked to other organisations that in my opinion only have principles that suit their pockets in many cases.
Does that sound scathing, I certainly hope so.
There are big organisations taking large subscriptions from vulnerable people and what exactly are they giving in return, maybe a couple of back dated mags, the opportunities to attend seminars/conferences at exorbitant ticket prices, and on a helpline to be told,  "you need to get on with life," that particular grandparent told me she was suicidal, but who is working at the coal face?
Who are the people who are really listening?
As far as I can see it is the people who work so hard, day after day, having those all important one to ones with people, the locals supporting in their own communities.
What questions are asked when these organisations are appointing trustees etc, do they ask have you got the correct principles for this group? Apparently not.
How is it that an organisation can have a patron on their board that is opposed to  shared parenting and so preventing children to be able to have a loving and meaningful relationship with both parents, and to even remove the word presumption or for another organisation to link to that particular organisation, who are supposed to be working for families, I was told that this person "does not influence policy positions or support services"   
Oh, thats OK then.
So no principles there.
The longer I go on dealing with some of these organisation the more disillusioned I am.
Who can you trust?
In all honesty, probably no-one, just yourself.

Jane
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