Starting in January 2026
The Tuck Shop
A Community for Boarding School Survivors
A supportive community for ex-boarders and their partners, where we come together to explore the long term impact of our boarding school experience and find new ways to heal.
What is The Tuck Shop?
The Tuck Shop is a new community offering a safe space for reflection, learning and growth to ex-boarder men, women and their partners. It is not therapy; it's a place in which to share experiences and learn from each other.
It includes:
Regular online sessions
Masterclasses on specific topics
Guest speakers (all ex-boarders) bringing fresh perspectives
Exclusive discounts on courses and group coaching programmes
How does The Tuck Shop work?
The Tuck Shop offers just enough structure alongside flexibility, so you can take part in a way that suits you.
Weekly teaching and coaching sessions
Live online on Tuesdays at 12pm (UK) for around one hour, with space for reflection, questions and discussion.Masterclasses and guest speakers
Held in the evenings, exploring specific topics in more depth and offering new insights and perspectives.Recordings included
All sessions are recorded and uploaded to a private course portal, so you can watch in your own time if you can’t attend live.
There’s no pressure to attend everything - members engage in different ways depending on their needs and availability.
- £30/mo or £300/yr
Click the button to sign up
As a founder member you can join the Tuck Shop for £30/month or £300 for the full year, which gives you 12 months for the price of 10.
Who is it for?
The Tuck Shop is a supportive community for men and women who went to boarding school and for their partners and adult children.
It’s a place to connect with others who understand what it was like to grow up in that unique environment, and to discover more about how those early experiences can continue to shape our adult lives.
What kind of community is this?
The Tuck Shop is a facilitated, supportive community, with a focus on personal growth. It is not a competitive, performance-led environment.
Our sessions will include some teaching, guided discussion, shared reflection or listening quietly - all forms of participation are welcome, and there’s no expectation to speak unless you want to.
From February or March, smaller facilitated groups will be introduced, shaped by the needs and wishes of the community as it develops.
Sign up for The Tuck Shop in December and I will gift you my online course about relationships, Unlocking Intimacy
Unlocking Intimacy: Navigate Conflict & Nurture Lasting Connection
As a special thank you, if you sign up in December, I will gift you my online course, Unlocking Intimacy. This is for people who want to move from conflict into connection in their relationships. Normal price £79.
What challenges does it address?
Many ex-boarders find that certain behaviour patterns or feelings linger long after school days are over, such as:
Painful or confusing memories of school life
Anxiety or depression
Fear of judgment or abandonment
Overworking or finding it hard to slow down
Difficulties forming or maintaining close relationships
If any of these sound familiar, you’re not alone.
The Tuck Shop was created to help you move forward.
What will I gain from joining?
As part of The Tuck Shop, you will:
Deepen you understanding of how boarding school shaped their mental health, self-esteem, and relationships
Meet others with similar experiences and share the journey together in a safe, compassionate space
Start to reconnect with things you left behind when you went away to school
Explore healthier, more connected ways of being in relationships
- £30/mo or £300/yr
Sign up and join a community of fellow ex-boarders
Join The Tuck Shop as a founder member and be in at the inception of a brand new approach to healing the wounds of boarding school.
What people are saying...
Matthew
"I came to see Sorrel following some anger issues I was having after a bereavement, and the work that Sorrel has done with me has been transformative, to say the least. I feel much calmer in a considerably better place and certainly less angry than I ever did prior to the work that I started with Sorrel. Sorrel has an ability to hold a space, a reflective space for you, asking just the right amount of questions that encourage reflectivity and the opportunity to adjust your feelings or behavior accordingly."
B.L.
"I have just finished Sorrel’s six week course for the partners of ex-boarders. For years I have struggled alone, with the impact that early boarding has had on my partner of 40 years. Sorrel’s warmth and wisdom and insight was truly like balm to my soul. I felt validated, appreciated and understood.
Meg Roundell Greene
"I got so much value from that webinar you hosted - it's so interesting to dive into this! it gave me a very clear idea of what I was doing and why - and how to change it to have fewer disagreements (or at least have the disagreement but manage it in an emotionally mature and responsible way instead of reverting to old habits!)"
Meet the Team
The Tuck Shop grew out of a vision of Sorrel Pindar's, but she knew she didn't want to do it alone. Sorrel says “You’re joining us - two real humans - in a warm, connected brave space. When I decided to start the Tuck Shop, I knew I didn’t want to do it alone. I'll be joined by my partner, Mark. We're both boarding school survivors and we've have spent years exploring what healing, connection, and growth really look like.”
Sorrel Pindar, Creator and Lead Facilitator
Sorrel is a trauma-informed relationship coach who works with people who feel stuck in their relationships - especially those who spent part of their childhood in boarding school. Drawing on her own experience of seven years in school, she offers both couples coaching and individual coaching for survivors and their partners.
Her coaching journey began in 2017 when she became an NLP Master Practitioner. Since then, she has trained with Jamie Smart to become a Certified Advanced CLARITY® Coach & Facilitator, and is a licensed One of Many™ women’s coach. In 2025, she qualified as a Relational Life Coach through the Relational Life Institute, giving her some unique tools to work with couples.
Before starting her coaching journey, Sorrel spent 20 years as an osteopath, retiring in 2022 to focus on helping people heal emotionally and in their relationships. She holds a BSc and MPhil in Psychology, and deeply believes in our spiritual “true self” - the inner source of wisdom, creativity, and well-being that enables us all to heal from the inside out.
Mark de Gietelink, Co-Facilitator
Mark is an experienced peer tutor and facilitator and runs a men’s group at the Bedford Recovery College. His journey includes four years at boarding school in the 1970s, six years as an Army medic, and two decades working as a photographer and filmmaker.
During his creative career, Mark directed wildlife films (including two for the BBC) and managed photographic studios for a large American company. More recently, he has taken on non-medical roles in mental health, supporting homeless veterans and facilitating courses at the Recovery College.
One of Mark’s unique contributions has been his use of self-portraiture as a gentle empowerment tool. Through this work, he helps women rediscover their confidence and sense of self. Outside of facilitation, he brings a deeply observant, quietly powerful presence.
Mark is not only Sorrel’s creative collaborator — he’s also her partner in life. Together, they bring warmth, humanity, and a story-driven lens to the Tuck Shop. He has a gift for helping people feel seen in a way that is spacious, respectful, and grounding.
Together, Sorrel and Mark will guide the Tuck Shop with creativity, care, and lived experience, helping boarding school survivors heal and connect.
- £30/mo or £300/yr
Join the community and start the journey back to yourself
As a founder member you can join the Tuck Shop for £30/month or £300 for the full year.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Tuck Shop?
The Tuck Shop is a supportive online community for adults who went to boarding school – and their partners. It offers a warm space to explore how early boarding experiences may still shape emotions, relationships, and everyday life, while connecting with others who truly understand.
Who is The Tuck Shop for?
It’s for anyone who spent part of their childhood in boarding school, and for partners who want to understand these patterns better and build stronger, more connected relationships.
Why are partners included?
Because boarding-school patterns often show up most strongly in adult relationships. Partners are welcome because understanding the patterns and pressures that come from boarding school can help create more empathy, closeness, and communication. Your partner does not have to have gone to boarding school to be a member of The Tuck Shop.
Do I need to have had a difficult boarding-school experience to join?
No. Some members faced real hardship; others simply want to understand the long-term influence of boarding school on their emotional style or relationships. All experiences – positive, negative, or mixed – are welcome.
What can we expect when we join?
You’ll find a compassionate, non-judgemental community, online gatherings, shared reflection, and gentle guidance from facilitators experienced in boarding-school psychology and relationship dynamics. You can join as a couple or individually and take part at your own pace.
Is this therapy or counselling?
No. The Tuck Shop isn’t therapy. It’s a coaching-informed community space offering support, self-understanding, and tools for healthier relating. Many find it complements other personal work, but it does not replace therapy.
How is this different from other alumni groups or social networks?
Traditional alumni networks often focus on achievements or nostalgia. The Tuck Shop is different – it centres on your wellbeing, relational patterns, and personal growth rather than institutional identity.
How private and safe is the community?
Privacy and confidentiality are core values. The Tuck Shop is intended to be a safe, non-judgemental space for honest exploration – you control what you share, and you participate only as much as you feel comfortable.
- £30/mo or £300/yr
Join us today!
Join a community of fellow ex-boarders and their partners and travel the path together to reconnection, love, happiness and peace.