“Why the film Boarding On Insanity must be seen in parliament — and how you can help”

👉 Please take a few minutes to read the below and invite your MP – Resources provided

👉 Watch this short video from Piers Cross, one of the films producers, which explains everything

👉 Please share this widely

Across the UK, thousands of children are still being sent away to boarding school at ages when they most need emotional safety, parental connection, and nurturing stability. For many, the impact is lifelong.

This is not niche. It is not historical. It is a public interest issue affecting safeguarding, social mobility, governance, mental and physical health across generations.

A powerful documentary, Boarding on Insanity, exposes the emotional, psychological, and social consequences of early institutionalisation — this invite only (not open to the public) screening is taking place on:

Date: 19th January

Time: 18:00–20:00

Location: Committee Room 11, House of Commons

Film screening hosted by Dr Simon Opher MP + talk from speakers including: Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Alex Renton, Dr Warren Larkin, Mark O’Sullivan

Attendance is limited and invite only. MP’s or media RSVP to guarantee a place: boardingoninsanity@gmail.com

And most importantly your MP needs to be there. 

Why This Screening Matters

The film brings together testimony from former boarders and experts, including many who were sent away at six, seven, eight years old. Their stories reveal:

• Emotional neglect

• Psychological and physical harm

• Sexual abuse and suicide

• A culture of silence and institutional power that discouraged disclosure

• Long-term trauma, relationship difficulties, and disrupted development

The issues raised are not historic anomalies — they are systemic patterns with ongoing implications for child safeguarding, educational oversight, mental health, and national leadership culture.

This is not just about individual stories. It is about the structures that shape our society, including:

• How early separation influences emotional regulation

• How boarding-school norms inform leadership behaviours

• How privilege networks reinforce inequality

• How silence around harm becomes generational

• How institutionalisation shapes political and social priorities

If policymakers do not understand these impacts, they cannot legislate effectively to protect children today.

How You Can Make a Difference (It Takes 1 Minute)

MPs are far more likely to attend when their own constituents ask them to.

To help, you can:

1. Email your MP now (fastest)

Copy or download the template letter and flyer below, and send it using this link:
👉 Find your MP and email them: https://www.writetothem.com

2.

Download the template letter – CLICK HERE

View the flyer – CLICK HERE

Download The Flyer To Share: MP-invitation-letter-parliament-screening-boarding-on-insanity 27th Nov

3. Share this blog with others

The more people who contact their MP, the more voices are heard.

Template Letter to Your MP (Copy & Paste if you cannot download the word template above)

Subject: Invitation to Parliamentary Film Screening – Boarding on Insanity (19th January 2026)

Dear [MP Name],

I hope you are well. I am writing to invite you to an invite-only parliamentary screening of the independent documentary Boarding on Insanity, hosted by Dr Simon Opher MP, and includes a short post-film talk from speakers Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Alex Renton, Dr Warren Larkin, Mark O’Sullivan.  The film examines the long-term emotional, psychological, and social impacts of the UK boarding school system.

This is not niche. It is not historical. It is a public interest issue affecting safeguarding, social mobility, governance, and mental health across generations.

Event details:

Date: 19th January 2026

Time: 18:00–20:00

Location: Committee Room 11, House of Commons

Attendance is limited and invite only. MP’s or media RSVP to guarantee a place: boardingoninsanity@gmail.com

The film shares testimony from former boarders and experts who describe experiences of emotional harm, neglect, suicide, sexual and physical abuse. Their stories highlight systemic safeguarding vulnerabilities and raise crucial questions about oversight, child protection, emotional development, and the culture of silence within institutional settings.

These issues intersect with key policy areas including implementing the IICSA recommendations (particularly the creation of the Child Protection Agency and need for Effective Mandatory Reporting) education reform, adult mental health provision, early-years wellbeing, and residential care standards.

Your attendance would be greatly appreciated.

If you cannot attend the screening, the film can be viewed online at the following link:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/boardingoninsanityfilm/1064241268

Thank you for considering this important invitation.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Postcode]

Why MPs Must Hear These Voices

Individual Impacts

• Attachment disruption

• Emotional suppression

• Anxiety, perfectionism, and chronic vigilance

• Difficulties in intimacy, identity, relationships, and parenting

• Peer-dominated upbringing and bullying cultures

• Lifelong mental-health consequences

Societal Impacts

• Leadership shaped by emotional detachment

• Reinforcement of class and privilege structures

• Silence around harm becoming culturally normalised

• Narrow lived experience influencing national policy

• Weakening of family bonds and community cohesion

• Economic and educational inequality

This Is the Moment for Change

For decades, the voices of former boarders have been silenced, dismissed, or minimised.

This screening is a chance to put those voices at the centre of political conversation.

👉 Please take one minute to invite your MP.
👉 Please share this widely.
👉 Let’s ensure policymakers confront the reality behind the tradition.