Could you be a PANTS champion?

Together for Childhood is looking for people to help keep children safe from abuse by promoting the PANTS campaign.

‘PANTS Champions’ help to run workshops for groups and organisations across the area, to teach them about the PANTS campaign and how they can help protect children.

There are already several PANTS champions in the Big Local area, but more are needed to ensure the campaign can reach as many children as possible.

The PANTS campaign helps to protect all children from abuse by offering simple ways for parents, carers and professionals to have these important conversations with children aged four to 11. 

Children are taught the PANTS rule – Privates are private, Always remember your body belongs to you, No means no, Talk about secrets that upset you and Speak up – someone can help.

It is part of Together for Childhood, a project which sees the Big Local working with the NSPCC, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and other partners to prevent child abuse.

If you are interested in being a PANTS Champion, please email TogetherForChildhood@nspcc.org.uk. 

Since February, Big Local members and people from across the community have been getting involved in the PANTS campaign. 

Highlights include a fun day at St Martin’s Church in Chell, and an Easter egg hunt and lantern parade that both had a PANTS theme.

More than 200 foster carers have been briefed on how to use the PANTS rule, along with a number of schools and Early Years settings.

The campaign features cartoon dinosaur Pantosaurus, who highlights the key messages: your body belongs to you; you have the right to say no; and you should talk to an adult if you have a secret that upsets you. A catchy video can be seen here  or at the end of this post.

Though the first phase of the campaign has now come to an end, everyone involved in Together for Childhood wants to build on the positive work that has already been done.

NSPCC Local Campaigns Manager Ally Sultana said: “We’re so grateful to everyone who has helped to make the PANTS campaign a success. It’s so important that we do everything we can to keep children safe, and the achievements of the last few months will make a huge difference. Let’s keep going.”