Although we are called Bristol Grandparents Support Group, I hope by now you know that we support grandparents right across the UK and beyond. It is one of the positives of the internet,you can reach out to anyone wherever they may be.
One of the aims of BGSG was always to enable other grandparents to help and support grandparents in their own areas, being that first port of call to someone in distress is so worthwhile.
As I have explained many times, running a group in your area doesn’t have to be onerous, a group can be as small as two people meeting up, maybe in a local cafe or if larger meeting up in a community space. You don’t have to invite endless speakers, what estranged grandparents really want is to talk to others who understand how it feels, and those who can use their own experience to help others. They just want someone to listen.
It’s true none of us has the magic bullet, no-one has the answer, but we do have a wealth of empathy.
Never believe anyone who says they do have answers.
We now have 14 groups listed on our website, they are all independant and run independently.
I have been asked why they are independant, I learnt many years ago that if you are part of an ‘organisation’ you soon have to be seen in towing the party line. In other words you don’t have control of your own group, there are rules and regulations that you have to adhere to. This route was never for me, I wanted to be a free agent and to be able to say what I wanted to say to whom I wanted to say it too, rather than working from a ‘script’.
So, if some group leaders don’t want to have in-person meetings, and only use zoom that is entirely up to them. It should state on our website those who do zoom only. Some will have a helpline number others have an email address, so grandparents can make that decision themselves, whichever is right for them.
As this blog is entitled Call to Action, if you are reading this thinking you might like to set up a group in your area, please do get in touch, we will support you anyway we can.
Remember you are the experts.
