You may have come to this page looking for BeGrand.net – the website for grandparents. While the site is not available after 31 March, 2011, we hope the following information will help direct you to some useful and interesting content and helpful services.
What are you looking for today?
- Help with a grandparenting issue
- Support for kinship carers
- Specific information on finances, benefits or welfare issues
- Help with contact, legal issues and family breakdown
- Information and help with children’s education
- Help with new technology
- Talking to other grandparents online
- Local activities and family support
Help with a grandparenting issue
The Grandparents’ Association
The GPA has worked with and for grandparents for decades. The national charity operates a helpline and a unique welfare benefits advice service, and can give you information on support groups for grandparents in your area.
The Grandparents’ Association can give you specialist help if you:
- have lost, or are losing contact, with your grandchildren because of divorce
- are caught up in a family feud or are experiencing other problems
- are bringing up grandchildren on a full-time basis
- have childcare responsibilities for your grandchildren
- and/or are interested in the educational and welfare needs of your grandchildren.
Contact
Helpline: 0845 4349585
Welfare benefits advice: 0844 3571033
Information on support groups: 0844 3572907
Website: http://www.grandparents-association.org.uk
Grandparents Plus
Grandparents Plus is the national charity that champions the vital role of grandparents and the wider family in children’s lives – especially when they take on the caring role in difficult family circumstances. It works to support grandparents and the wider family by:
- campaigning for change so that their contribution to children’s well-being and care is valued and understood
- providing evidence, policy solutions and training so that they get the services and support they need to help children thrive
- building alliances and networks so that they can have a voice and support each other, especially when they become children’s full-time carers.
Contact
Telephone: 020 8981 8001
Family Lives
Family Lives is a national charity providing help and support in all aspects of family life. They provide free, flexible services over the phone, via the internet and face-to-face.
Contact
Helpline (free*): 0808 800 2222
Textphone: 0800 783 6783
Website: http://www.familylives.org.uk
*free from landlines and most mobile networks
Support for kinship carers
Family Rights Group
The FRG advises, advocates and campaigns for families whose children are involved with, or require, social care services. A leading national charity, it works to secure the best future possible for children, including those who are in need, at risk and/or cannot live at home, and to improve the services received by these families. It also runs a discussion board for people who are raising a young relative or have serious concerns about a child/children within their family.
Contact
Advice service (Mon–Fri 10am–3.30pm): 0808 801 0366
Advice service (Mon–Fri 10am–3.30pm): 0808 801 0366
Website: http://www.frg.org.uk
Specific information on finances, benefits or welfare issues
The Grandparents’ Association
The national charity operates a helpline, a unique welfare benefits advice service.
Contact
Welfare benefits advice: 0844 3571033
HMRC (Child benefit)
Contact
Telephone: 08453 021 444
Textphone: 08453 021 474
Online information: ‘How to claim Child Benefit’
Child Maintenance Options
Find out about maintenance options and making the arrangement best suited to your circumstances.
Contact
Telephone (freephone): 0800 988 0988
Website: http://www.cmoptions.org
Department for Work and Pensions
Employment, benefits and pensions information.
Contact
Website: http://www.dwp.gov.uk
Directgov – Pensions
Information about state pension provision, planning for retirement, financial support and private financial options.
Information about state pension provision, planning for retirement, financial support and private financial options.
Contact
Pensions information telephone (freephone): 0800 99 1234
Textphone: 0800 169 0133
Benefit enquiry line (freephone):0800 882 200
Textphone: 0800 243 355
moneymagpie
BeGrand.net’s money expert, Jasmine Birtles, runs moneymagpie, a website full of useful information, debt advice and money-saving tips.
Contact
Website: http://www.moneymagpie.com
Money Made Clear
Money Made Clear aims to help people tackle their money worries and make informed financial decisions with confidence, whether it’s avoiding debt problems, coping with a change in circumstances, or preparing for the future.
Contact
Telephone: 0300 500 5000
Website: http://www.moneymadeclear.org.uk
Help with contact, legal issues and family breakdown
The Grandparents’ Association – Finding a lawyer service
The Grandparents’ Association provides a Lawyers’ List, which is made up of firms from the Law Society’s Children Panel and Family Panel lists that have the necessary expertise to deal with cases involving children, grandparents or other family members who may consult them. You can search the list to find a lawyer near you.
Contact
Helpline: 0845 4349585
Helpline: 0845 4349585
The Children’s Legal Centre
The Children’s Legal Centre is an independent national charity concerned with law and policy affecting children and young people.
If you need free legal advice relating to children and kinship care immediately, call one of the helplines below.
Contact
Child Law Advice Line (freephone): 08088 020 008
Community Legal Advice – education: 0845 345 4345
Young Person’s Helpline (freephone): 0800 783 2187
Website: http://www.childrenslegalcentre.com
National Family Mediation (NFM) Service
If you would like to contact an NFM service in your area for more information or to arrange an appointment, why not find your nearest local family service?
Contact
Website: http://www.nfm.org.uk
Cafcass
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service champions the interests of children involved in family proceedings, advising the family courts in England on what it considers to be in the best interests of individual children.
Contact
Website: http://www.cafcass.gov.uk
Family Needs Fathers
This national charity seeks to obtain the best possible blend of both parents in the lives of their children, so that the children realise that both parents are fully involved with them. The FNF offers help for families in a range of ways and welcomes all enquiries.
Contact
Website: http://www.fnf.org.uk
Family Lives
Offers support for families on a range of issues.
Contact
Helpline: 0808 800 2222
Website: http://www.familylives.org.uk
Relate
Relateline, Relate’s helpline, will put you in touch with a counsellor who can briefly talk things through with you for up to 20 minutes and offer ideas and direction for the future. It is open from 9:30 to 4pm. You can call anytime during these hours and talk to a counsellor for the cost of a local call.
Contact
Telephone: 0845 130 401
Website: http://www.relate.org.uk
Information and help with children’s education
Ofsted: Parents and carers
Accessible information, including the answers to frequently asked questions. Ofsted also publishes reports on specific schools.
Contact
Website: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk
School/childcare finder
Find local schools and childcare options by postcode and type.
Contact
Website: childcarefinder.direct.gov.uk
Advisory Centre for Education
For free independent advice for all parents and carers of children educated in state schools.
Contact
Telephone: 0808 800 5763
Website: http://www.ace-ed.org.uk
Help with new technology
Learning Zone
Digital Unite’s Learning Zone section offers a growing selection of easy-to-follow guides and advice on a huge range of technology, from the first steps in choosing a computer through to setting up a firewall, browsing the internet through the Wii games console and beyond.
Contact
Website: learning.digitalunite.com
Tutors Network
Digital Unite specialises in helping people learn about computers and the Internet. There are tutors all over Britain available to teach one-to-one or to small groups on a wide range of technology.
Contact
Website: tutors.digitalunite.com
UK online centres
There are thousands of centres across England, offering free or low cost access to computers and the internet, plus help and support to use them.
Contact
Telephone (freephone): 0800 77 1234
Website: http://www.ukonlinecentres.com
Talking to other grandparents online
Grannynet
Supported by childcare guru, Miriam Stoppard, Grannynet is your one-stop-shop for all the best information for grandmothers who like to be in the know. The site offers members an interactive forum and blog, as well as interesting articles that focus on a wide range of relevant topics.
Contact
Website: http://www.grannynet.co.uk
Gransnet
From the makers of parenting community Mumsnet, Gransnet offers support, advice and friendship to grandparents throughout Britain. The site has community forums, articles on a wide range of topics and member offers.
From the makers of parenting community Mumsnet, Gransnet offers support, advice and friendship to grandparents throughout Britain. The site has community forums, articles on a wide range of topics and member offers.
Contact
Website: http://www.gransnet.com
Local activities and family support
Family Information Services
The National Association of Family Information Services (NAFIS) is a registered charity that supports, links and promotes Family Information Services (FIS) in Great Britain. NAFIS represents a network of quality Family Information Services across England, Wales and Scotland. To find your local Family Information Service, visit the website and click ‘Find your FIS’ on the menu.
Contact
Website: http://www.familyinformationservices.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7953 4085
Netmums
This parenting and family website has local community pages with family activities and events. To find out more, visit the website below and click on ‘local boards’ on the menu.
Contact
Website: http://www.netmums.com