Grandparents Apart UK
Reg; Office 22 Alness Crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ
0141 882 5658
Landudno - Kilmarnock

Members of the Coalition for Equal Parenting
Scotland, England & Wales

Introduction for inquirers

The Charter for Grandchildren, created by the Scottish Government for guidance only, was along with Grandparents Apart UK and others, to accompany the Scottish Family Law Act (Scotland) 2006. This has not been as successful as everyone hoped and is largely being ignored by Social Services, courts, lawyers and professionals working in the welfare of children. This has arisen because of the attitude of Social Services towards grandparents when they dare to comment on how their grandchildren are treated. Social Service’s reaction is to cut them off as uncooperative and tell them they are irrelevant persons and don’t need to be kept informed.

Our request now is to have the Charter for Grandchildren made mandatory for professionals all over the UK in order that children cannot be denied the love and protection that their grandparents can offer. Cross party MSPs, wide ranging family groups and representatives of various authorities support the Charter for Grandchildren, but without proper backing, guidance for best practice is being ignored.


In the Charter for Grandchildren grandparents do not have any legal rights. It states that the role grandparents can play in children’s lives must be taken seriously, e.g. in early detection of abuse and offering stability and emotional security in crisis situations. It is the thousands of little things children get from their grandparents that comfort them the most, instead of being shunted to strangers and from pillar to post when family members are available.

The reason for our campaign is because grandparents are regarded in law as irrelevant persons in their grandchildren’s lives, and it can happen to you. You can be cut out of your grandchildren’s lives at a whim because of family problems, fall outs or bereavement. Being cut out of your grandchildren’s lives happens all too easily and our authorities too often hinder, rather than help support families. Evidence shows our children benefit from the support of their family members. They must be allowed that support.

In our personal case we regained contact and consider ourselves very fortunate but cannot forget the devastation we and our grandchildren went through. This is why we set up this group to offer support and guidance to others which was not available when we needed it.

Jimmy Deuchars
Grandparents Apart UK

http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk
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http://grandparentsapart.freeforums.org/test-forum-1-f2.html?sid=33b343f522c448dcb5ab8cb24e44d500





Grandparents Apart UK is non-profit staffed by volunteers
Charity Motto ‘Bringing Families together’
www.grandparentsapart.co.uk


‘The ‘Charter for Grandchildren’

It is important that parents, grandparents and other family members, speak to, and treat each other, with respect. You may not get on, but you can still be civil, for the sake of the children. Try to avoid arguing with or criticising family members in front of the children. It can be very upsetting for them.

On occasions professional organizations such as social work departments or the courts can become involved and may have to make decisions that will have a lasting impact throughout a child’s entire life. In these circumstances it is vital that the loving and supportive role that the wider family, in particular grandparents can play is utilised to the full

FAMILIES ARE IMPORTANT TO CHILDREN
(Grandchildren can expect)

• To be involved with and helped to understand decisions made about their lives.
• To be treated fairly
• To know and maintain contact with their family (except in very exceptional

circumstances) and other people who are important to them.
• To know that their grandparents still love them, even if they are not able to see them at

the present time.

• To know their family history.
• The adults in their lives to put their needs first and to protect them from disputes

between adults – not to use them as weapons in quarrels between adults.
• Social workers , when making assessments about their lives, to take into account the

loving and supporting role grandparents can play in their lives.
• The Courts, when making decisions about their lives, to take into account the loving and
supporting role grandparents can play in their lives.
• Lawyers and other advisers to encourage relationship counselling or mediation when

adults seek advice on matters affecting them and their children.


Along with others, Grandparents Apart UK put a lot of hard work into The Charter for Grandchildren by demanding to be heard about the gaps in family law concerning their grandchildren. Why? Because we really do have the best interests of our grandchildren at heart, if it was not for our love for them why would we bother?

Grandparents Apart UK.
22 Alness Crescent, Glasgow G52 1PJ
A Scottish Registered Volunteer Charity No. SC 031558
Groups – Glasgow – Kilmarnock – Llandudno.
http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk



Membership and/or Donation form

A not for profit-volunteer Charity. Every penny is spent on the cause.

As like every charity in this economic climate we need funds just to survive. Our intentions were to open a Family Information and Education Centre for stress anxiety for families and industrial referrals to ease the burden on people who are working and are under stress who could be a danger to others due to lack of concentration on the job. But it has not been possible due to lack of funding.

We did ask the Big Lottery for £250K but were granted £10K for a project of taking the service to the public by way of a mobile centre which was very successful while it was being funded but lack of volunteers willing to travel was very rare.

We have expanded with a new group in Llandudno Wales along with our very good group in Kilmarnock and a possible group in Bristol. We already have contacts all over the UK which refer families to us on a daily basis.

If you know any celebrity like Gloria Hunniford who can take up our cause please let us know as it would help tremendously.


Membership. £10.00…With free book Donation…£ ………
(Grandparents Speak out for Vulnerable Children)
Over seas Please add an £1.00p extra.

Cheques & P.O.s, made payable to,-

G.A.P. UK, 22 Alness Crescent, Glasgow G52 1PJ

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Grandparents Apart UK.
Petition.

Grandparents Apart UK request the petitions committee to urge the government to make ‘The Charter for Grandchildren’ mandatory for professionals who work in the welfare of children.
More info:- http://grandparentsapartuk.blogspot.com/

Name Address Tel; Signature



Grandparents Apart UK is non-profit staffed by volunteers Scottish Charity. No; SC031558.
Registered address 22 Alness Crescent Glasgow G52 1PJ..
Telephone 0141 882 5658
www.grandparentsapart.co.uk

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Letter to your member of Parliament. (Delete address not required)

Name of member of Parliament................................................................

The Scottish Parliament House of Commons Welsh Assembly
Edinburgh London Government Cathays Park
EH99 1SP SW1A 0AA. Cardiff CF10 3NQ

I have contacted Grandparents Apart UK for support regarding losing contact with our grandchildren. With their nine years experiences and what has happened to me I feel justified in supporting this proposal and would be obliged if you would make it an issue in parliament. I believe A Government created this Charter and therefore they should ensure its effectiveness.
The Proposal:- We therefore propose that ‘The Charter for Grandchildren’ ‘ The role grandparent can play in their grandchildren’s lives’ be made Mandatory for Professionals dealing with children thereby ensuring in the absence of one or both parents that the love and protective role grandparents can play is not wasted as is the case at present because grandparents are regarded as irrelevant persons and therefore rarely considered in practice.…Being mandatory for professionals would not be an imposition on the parents or family in general…If the governments were to adopt this as an example it would send a message of encouragement to families that grandparents can be a huge asset in the family and it could be worthwhile attending mediation focusing on the best interests of the children.

Failure to implement this is criminal and neglect in providing all the possible protection for children in need and in many ways is actually encouraging child abuse I understand this statement will not be discussed or shown to anyone outside the theatre of government and will be completely confidential. I look forward to your reply.

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Jimmy Deuchars
Grandparents Apart UK
22 Alness crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ
0141 882 5658
http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk