As I sit and write this blog, the sun is pouring in through the window, the birds are tweeting happily welcoming the Spring, these beautiful days always recharge my batteries.
I have a plea to make today.
I suspect that those of you reading this found BGSG because you had heard us on the radio, TV or read an article with reference to us in it.
If you hadn’t heard about us and what we do, where would you be now?
Grandparents who contact us, always say, ‘thank goodness I am no longer alone.’
The whole point in us publicising BGSG, is for one reason and one reason only, it is to reach out to grandparents right across the UK and beyond who are going through the dark days of estrangement and alienation.
It is not, as some would have you believe, for personal gain, never was, never will be.
To put yourself out there and bare your inner most thoughts, is really hard.
The interviewers more often than not don’t ask questions you expect, you want to say so much but you only have time given.
You also have to expect criticism, over the last 12 years I have certainly had my fill of that. Sadly it can be the very people you are trying to support that are the most critical. I have hardened to it a bit over the years, but it still hurts. The only way to get over these issues is to keep thinking about what you are trying to do, and that is simply to expose the Emotional Abuse that is being caused to our grandchildren.
So back to my plea.
We have a list of grandparents who are willing to talk to the media, but we would like to build on that list.
Before you volunteer, there are a few things to think about.
Most media outlets are looking for sensationalism and they like nothing better than a good spat between family members. So these opportunities mustn’t be about ‘revenge’ against other family members. it does nothing to help what we are about.
Never give your family members names, I know that sounds obvious but it is easy in the heat of the moment to let them slip, in most cases you wont be allowed to name people.
If you are going through court proceedings don’t put yourself forward.
Be a bit choosy about who you are prepared to talk to.
You might spend ages talking to a researcher only to find that nothing else happens, media is a movable feast.
It is all about the rights of grandchildren, not grandparents rights.
Most important of all is to remember that, it is you doing them a favour, NOT the other way round.
Without you there is no story, no feature, no item.
If you think this is something you might like to be involved in, please get in touch.
jane@bgsg.co.uk
