Age Concern

Age Concern supports all people over 50 in the UK, ensuring that they get the most from life. They provide essential service such as day care and information. They campaign on issues like age discrimination and pensions, and work to influence public opinion and government policy about older people.

They have an section on their web site for Grandparents that you can access via the link below.

Age Concern
Astral House
1268 London Road
London
SW16 4ER

Tel: 020 8765 7200
Information Line: 0800 009966

www.ageconcern.org.uk

Contact a Family

Contact a Family is a charity for families with disabled children. They have information on hundreds of medical conditions, many of them rare syndromes. They also have information on national and local support groups and on topics such as benefits and education.

They produce a specific factsheet for Grandparents who have a disabled grandchild which you can access via the link web site below.

Contact a Family
209 - 211 City Road
London
EC1V 1JN

Tel: 020 7608 8700
Helpline: 0808 808 3555

Email: info@cafamily.org.uk

www.cafamily.org.uk/grandparents.html

familyonwards.com - the Jill Curtis helpsite for parents and grandparents. This site has 400 articles and book reviews written by Jill Curtis, senior psychotherapist, including sensitive topics such

www.familyonwards.com

Family Rights Group

Family Rights Group (FRG) was established as a registered charity in 1974 to provide advice and support for families whose children is involved with social services. FRG works to improve the services received by these families.

The overriding aims of Family Rights Group are to develop and promote services that help secure the best possible futures for children and families and to support families involved with Social Services.

Family Rights Group
The Print House
18 Ashwin Street
London
E8 3DL

Tel: 020 7923 2628
Fax: 020 7923 2683
Advice Line: 0800 731 1696

Email: office@frg.org.uk

www.frg.org.uk

Grandparents Action Group, Telford, Shropshire

This is a local support group for grandparents deprived of access to their grandchildren.

Tel: 01952 582 621 or 01952 593 805

Grandparents Apart Self Help Group (GASH)

GASH is a self help group dedicated to ease the suffering of grandparents and grandchildren and extended families torn apart. If you feel your problems could be resolved by mediation a trained counsellor is available to help you with your problems before the trauma of court cases, that splits families and harms children emotionally.

They can help in by:

• providing a helpline for anyone in distress, plus leaflets and literature;



• holding meetings where you can find a friendly sympathetic welcome;



• running a drop in centre for, a cup of tea, one-to-one talks or group meeting, writing letters to officials, offering mediation between family members.

Tel: 0141 882 5658

www.grandparentsapart.co.uk

Grandparents Association

Grandparents Association is a registered charity that was launched in 1987 by a group of grandparents whose grandchildren had been put into care, adopted from care or were not allowed any contact with them.

Our mission is to improve the lives of children by working with and for all grandparents especially those who:

• have lost or are losing contact with their grandchildren because of divorce, family feud or other problems;



• are caring for their grandchildren on a full time basis;



• Have childcare responsibilities for their grandchildren;



• Are interested in the educational and welfare needs of their grandchildren.

Grandparents Association
Moot House
The Stow
Harlow
Essex
CM20 3AG

Tel: 01279 428040
Helpline: 01279 444964

Email: info@grandparents-association.org.uk

www.grandparents-federation.org.uk

grandparents Plus

In the 21st century following decades of social change including family breakdown and more mothers working, the importance of grandparents, their contribution and (sometimes) their problems is gradually attracting more attention.

'grandparents plus' became operational in late 2001 and aims to promote the better care, upbringing and establishment in life of children, in particular by:

• promoting the role of kinship care and also care by grandparents at all levels, particularly in curcumstances of family breakdown, single parenthood or other difficult conditions;



• supporting and advising grandparents and other kin who are acting as, or intend to act as carers, particularly in the circumstances mentioned above.

Grandparents Plus
18 Victoria Park Square
Bethnal Green
London E2 9PF

Tel: 020 8981 8001

Email: info@grandparentsplus.org.uk

www.grandparentsplus.org.uk

Grandparents Support Group, Stoke-on-Trent

Sue Cartwright runs support groups for grandparents who offer support to their grandchildren in the Stoke-on-Trent area. At the moment there is just one main group, but it is hoped that there will be others up and running in the near future.

For more information please contact Sue at suec@bjf.org.uk

Parentline Plus

Parentline Plus offer a free leaflet 'Grandparents in Stepfamilies' which you can view via the Publication section of their web site below. You can also request a copy through their telephone helpline.

Free helpline: 0808 800 2222

Free textphone helpline: 0800 783 6783 (for people with hearing or speech impairment)

www.parentlineplus.org.uk

Parents Again Self Help Group, Plymouth

This support group is for grandparents raising their grandchildren. They currently have a network of 22 families that meet monthly.

Tel: 01752 257 658

The Compassionate Friends

The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is an organisation of bereaved parents and their families offering understanding, support and encouragement to others after the death of a child or children. They also offer support, advice and information to other relatives, friends and professionals who are helping the family and have specific support groups and leaflets for grandparents.

The Compassionate Friends
53 North Street
Bristol
BS3 1EN

Tel: 0117 966 5202
Helpline: 08451 23 23 04

Email: info@tcf.org.uk

www.tcf.org.uk

The Second Generation, Peterborough

The Second Generation are a support group for grandparents caring for their grandchildren. Most members provide full-time care. The group meets weekly in term time.

Tel: 01733 756 842

Local Information