St Helens Borough Council supports NSPCC Talk PANTS campaign

Article date: 11 February 2025

The charity's Talk PANTS initiative aims to reach every primary school child in the UK, using age-appropriate language to help them understand their body belongs to them and they can speak out to a safe or trusted adult if anything happens that makes them feel uncomfortable.

There will be a year-long campaign in St Helens and a series of special Read & Rhyme sessions have been held in local libraries during the past few weeks for children and parents to further embed the Talk PANTS message.

Since 2013, the campaign has helped over six million parents to Talk PANTS and keep children safe from abuse.

PANTS stands for:

1. P - Privates are private
2. A - Always remember that your body belongs to you
3. N - No means no
4. T - Talk about secrets that upset you
5. S - Speak up, someone can help

The local NSPCC campaigns team will also be hosting information sessions about Talk PANTS across St Helens throughout the year for professionals and volunteers, along with activities for parents and carers.

At the launch this week, parents heard about Talk PANTS at a Read & Rhyme session in Eccleston Library, with the NSPCC's friendly dinosaur Pantosaurus making an appearance.

Local Campaigns Manager, Mubashar Khaliq, said: "An estimated 1 in 20 children have experienced sexual abuse.

"Talk PANTS was developed with children, parents, carers and teachers to help children understand that they have a right to say no and if they need to speak out about something, someone will listen.

"We know that a simple conversation can make a huge difference, and that's what Talk PANTS is all about. We're delighted to be bringing this campaign to the St Helens community and we hope it will really have an impact over the next 12 months."

St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Nova Charlton, said:

"Our main priority as a council is to ensure children and young people have a positive start in life and that includes protecting our children from all aspects of abuse.

"Supporting NSPCC'S 'Talk PANTS campaign allows us the opportunity to use our resources that children and young people engage with daily to educate and provide them with the confidence to speak out and know that they will be heard.

"With our Children's Services recognised as Good with Outstanding features in recent years by Ofsted, we will continue to work with partners through our Children's Safeguarding Partnership to prioritise the wellbeing of our children and young people to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation, and this important initiative is a vital way to get the message across at a young age."

The NSPCC offers a range of resources designed to help children understand what is and isn't OK, and how they can speak out if anything happens that worries them.

To help make the conversation easier - parents can buy a Pantosaurus storybook, sign up for Talk PANTS emails and the NSPCC has a range of other  Talk PANTS products in the NSPCC shop.