About The Forgotten Boys:
The Forgotten Boys was founded to support men who suffered abuse and harm in childhood institutions.
For too long, boys who grew up in borstals, care homes, detention centres, or other institutions were left to carry the damage alone. Many became men living with trauma, addiction, broken relationships, and shame, silenced by systems that were supposed to care for, nurture and protect them.
We exist to change that.
Our Core: Our niche is clear: supporting men who suffered in childhood institutions. This is the heart of our work and the lived experience we are built on.
How Our Work Has Grown: From that foundation, The Forgotten Boys now works across three main areas:
- Men who suffered abuse: supporting victims of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
- Men who suffered trauma: men carrying deep wounds from personal situations such as armed forces experience, violence, bereavement, breakdown of relationships, or other life events that left lasting scars.
- Training for professionals: equipping services with lived-experience insight and trauma-informed practice
Our Mission: We know what it means to be broken, overlooked, and forgotten. That’s why we are here, to provide support, a voice, and hope for recovery.
No man should be left behind.
The Golden Tear: A Symbol of Child Abuse Within the System
The Golden Tear draws inspiration from the facial tear tattoos worn by Borstal Boys in the 1970s—a silent mark of the pain, suffering, and systemic failures they endured. Reimagined as a national symbol, the Golden Tear honours all children who have faced neglect, abuse, or hardship within the Social Care, Educational, and Correctional Systems.
This powerful symbol serves as both a reminder and a call to action:
- A reminder of the children betrayed by those entrusted to care for, nurture, and protect them.
- A call to stand up for those who continue to suffer within these systems today.
By wearing the Golden Tear badge or sharing it on social media, you become part of a movement to raise awareness, spark crucial conversations, and ensure these children are never forgotten.