Screening #GoneTooFar in Parliament
Our #GoneTooFar campaign group, alongside Hackney of Tomorrow, screened two short films in the House of Lords.
I didn't realise things like this actually happened to young children in care and until it actually happens to you, you don't really understand how scary it is and how alone you feel.
⎯⎯ Lamar, talking to South Today
On Tuesday 19 March, our #GoneTooFar campaigners, alongside Hackney of Tomorrow, went to the House of Lords to screen two short films (our #GoneTooFar film & Hackney of Tomorrow’s film Raw Gods) on the impact of distance moves on children in care.
Our research revealed over 1 in 5 children in care in England (17,000) are living 20+ miles away from home (up from 16% in 2012).
Baroness Twycross hosted the drop-in screening that supporters and care-experienced young people could invite parliamentarians to attend.
The day started with Lamar, a young person from our #GoneTooFar campaigning group, and Clare, our Director of Policy, Campaigns & Comms, being interviewed on BBC Radio Solent, followed by a TV interview for BBC South Today. We want to raise awareness among the public and politicians of what it’s like to be in care.
We hosted two screenings in Parliament, introduced the #GoneTooFar campaign, our asks and what we hoped to see happen in the future. Parliamentarians asked some really good questions, including:
- What additional difficulties do young people from ethnic minority backgrounds face when being placed far away in less multicultural and diverse communities?
- What changes/action the young people want to see from central government?
- Helen Hayes MP asked about specific local data and how we know whether there are areas that were improving. This would mean Government can learn what they were doing to address the problem.
Photos from our day in Parliament
Heartbreaking. You hear adverts asking for more foster homes like finding forever families but it doesn't feel like a forever family when you're being bunked around the place.
⎯⎯ Lamar, talking to South Today
Well done to Bre, Ezra, Kane, Kevin, Lamar, Louise from Gone Too Far to China, Elena, and Sereyah from Hackney of Tomorrow and to Hartley, Nesah, Aaliyah and Pausha from Hackney who were part of the Raw Gods film. We believe that making important changes is crucial for children in care, both now and in the future. We’re committed to speaking up and fighting for this cause alongside you.
Photo of: Hartley who wrote and created Raw Gods, Nesah who choreographed the choir and spoke at the screening and Pausha who came along and was in Raw Gods
If you are a care-experienced young person & interested in opportunities like this, join our Movement.