Grandparents Apart UK Newsletter Autumn/Christmas 2010

Grandparents Apart UK Newsletter Autumn/Christmas 2010

Firstly the same auld rant. Get the fiddle oot. Money Money Money. Please renew your membership to keep us going. Lack of funding is preventing us expanding. Can anyone help with fund raising? 1 member raised £70 for us. Well done.
If you have access to a computer look up our website www.grandparentsapart.co.uk and our blog http://www.blogger.com/home?pli=1 to get an idea what we do with your money.

The New Grandparent’s Mediation Centre in Hamilton Scotland opened on 19th November. 40 invited guests from all types of groups attended. Two guests from seemingly unconnected groups said “I don’t know why I’m here” As they left they were full of amazement and praise about how the role Grandparents can play in children’s lives was so essential for their care, stability and protection. They could not believe that grandparents were classed as irrelevant persons in children’s lives.

Grandparents can save children being adopted to strangers or caught up in a care system that makes lots of children feel unhappy, rejected, and rebellious to society. It is proven that lots become non-achievers, turning to gangs for that family feeling they have been deprived of by being separated from their family.

Changes that need to be made for the welfare of children and the success of mediation are:- The negative attitude’s of the governments, social services and female agencies that alienate the paternal side of a child’s family even when they have done no wrong.

The saving to the public purse that mandatory adopting the Charter for Grandchildren could bring.

Grandparents saving parents over £12.5 billion a year in childcare
http://www.madeformums.com/mums-and-dads/grandparents-saving-parents-over-125-billion-a-year-in-childcare/11496.html

If the Governments recognised grandparents as relevant person for care alone the saving to the public purse of £400 a week for each child would be more than halved millions would be saved to adoption agencies and reduce costs to social services with less work load and free up the courts for dealing with crime saving on legal aid.
All this and more can be achieved if the willing army of grandparents were recognised as relevant persons in a child’s life. Overall it was a very informative and interesting afternoon and some asked if we could give a talk at their group meetings.
Glasgow SS claim they practise everything that is contained in the Charter for Grandchildren. This infers all you grandparents are telling lies about them not including you in decisions about your grandchildren.

Jimmy & Margaret + 2 attended Demo in Dundee protesting against Social services in referring to grandparents being relevant. We also do spot demos in the Centre of Glasgow out side the City Chambers.

A meeting with Cathy Jamieson MP MSP. Cathy is the instigator of the Charter for Grandchildren and renewed her support for us and she will put a question to the Scottish Parliament how the Charter for Grand children was monitored. Cathy is now an MP and will work for us in the House of Commons.

The governments cut backs mean they will be looking more closely at the voluntary sector and now is the time to tell them how good grandparents can be in saving them money. Write to your MP, MSP. AM. The only way changes can be made is by constituents telling their members of parliament what changes are required, so go to it. And if they don’t respond do it again and keep doing it. Do this and you will be on a winner.

Jimmy and Margaret were asked to ITV 1 Daybreak in London to Promote Grandparents Day on the 1st of October (I hope you seen us) we named that day because Grandparents Day had various dates from different companies. It is the same day as International Older Peoples Day (not that I’m saying you are old) but it should make it easier to remember.

The Nordic Human Rights in Gothenburg asked Jimmy to do a talk to then on Skype and we got a certificate from them see it on the blog. Various colleges have asked us to talk to their Social study Students which we have done. We were runner up in the Community Relations Championships in Glasgow around May. Certificate is on the blog.

A very Merry Christmas and a Grandparenting New Year



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

Frank Bradfield
Grandparents Apart Wales
01492 874 395
www.grandparentsapart.wales


Bill Mc Donald
Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Kilmarnock
01563 821 869