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To find out more about Grandparents Plus聽please go to:

Or write to: Grandparents Plus, 18 Victoria Park Square, London E2 9PF

Or call: 020 8981 8001

鈥淚 know just how hard it is to care for your grandchildren in traumatic circumstances.聽When my daughter Caron died of breast cancer I wanted to do all I could to care for her young boys. The family were already living with me and continued to stay with me for some months afterwards, but fortunately the children still had a wonderful hands-on father.鈥�

I was so surprised to hear that there are so many grandparents and other family members are raising children full-time when neither parent is able to - and even more so to find out that these grandparents get very little help.

The truth is tragedies like this can happen to anyone and we should be doing all we can to support people in this situation. They are doing society a great service. That鈥檚 why I am supporting Grandparents Plus and their work with grandparent carers.鈥澛�

There are 200,000 grandparents and other family members in the UK raising an estimated 300,000 children full-time because the parents are unable to. Causes of a child鈥檚 separation from parents include domestic violence, alcohol or drug misuse, mental health, abuse or neglect, imprisonment, disability and death.

Grandparents Plus helps these grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters to cope with this difficult and emotional situation enabling children to thrive in families that love them. Many children would get taken into care if their wider family had not stepped in - but they need help.

Your donation will enable Grandparents Plus to reach and help more family carers. Our Support Network reaches over 6,000, connecting isolated carers with each other and giving them the chance to join a support group of people in the same situation. 8 in 10 say they feel less isolated as a result of being a member of our Network. Our expert advisers help 1,000 carers a year struggling with the financial and practical issues that mount up when they should be able to focus on raising children who have been through a traumatic separation.

By supporting Grandparents Plus you help these and more grandparents and other family members to raise happy, loved children. Thank you.聽

Pat & husband Ivor were delighted when they became grandparents.

Ivor said, 鈥榊eah, that was one of the special days that was.鈥�

Pat said, 鈥榊ou can spoil them, you can have all the fun without the discipline and just have a great time with them.鈥�

But when their grandchildren were still young, tragedy struck. David and Holly鈥檚 dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The children鈥檚 mother suffered from severe depression triggered by the grief, and hasn鈥檛 recovered enough to look after them again. Adjusting to the huge changes in their lives was hard for all of the family.

Pat said, 鈥榃ith David when he first came he was very withdrawn. And also Holly, she wanted to be with her mum. It鈥檚 very difficult. It鈥檚 a long road.鈥�

And taking on the responsibilities of parenthood has had other consequences too.

Pat said, 鈥楤efore we had the children, we were living quite comfortably on our pensions, and we did find it quite a shock when we had to look after two children with all the expenses. We were using our savings to make, to cope.鈥�

You might think that family members who step in to care for children are automatically supported by the authorities, however that isn鈥檛 so. Pat & Ivor were exhausting their savings, but their Grandparents Plus adviser was also able to guide them towards vital sources of financial help.聽聽

Pat said, 鈥楾here was many, many benefits that she explained we may be entitled to and where to go for help. It was a great relief really, and I have used, I have telephoned her on several occasions since for advice. It鈥檚 very good to know they exist.鈥�

Janellen was in her mid-40s when she discovered she was to become a grandparent. She was concerned to hear the news, because both her son and his girlfriend have learning difficulties. When their attempts to look after their baby Finley failed, Janellen fought to keep her grandson out of care. Finley was followed by baby twin sisters Lily and Chloe. Janellen and her husband鈥檚 lives were turned upside down.

Janellen said, 鈥業t鈥檚 hard being an older mum, it鈥檚 hard going to playgroup and being possibly the oldest person there. We felt that we were the only ones that were going through this process, it was lonely, it was isolating we had no one to talk to.鈥�

Fortunately, Janellen heard about the Grandparents Plus Support Network, that helps over 6,000 people across the country. Through them she is now in touch with other grandparents in the local area who meet up every month. They鈥檙e a vital source of friendship and understanding.

Janellen said, 鈥榊ou suddenly realised there鈥檚 100s of other people like you, going through the same things. Being able to share what you鈥檙e going through, you don鈥檛 have to feel like you鈥檙e the only one struggling with these problems.鈥�

And with support from Grandparents Plus, Janellen is also feeling more confident about the future.

Janellen said, 鈥業f they weren鈥檛 there I could quite possibly become a blob on the floor because I wouldn鈥檛 know where to go. I have someone to call up and say could you just help me out on this issue or actually I think I need to cry right now, Grandparents Plus hold me together without knowing it.鈥�