Posted on Thursday 8th January 2026
Schoolboy Harry says the cuddly toy gives him courage and safety for going to school.
Staffordshire County Council’s Little Heroes campaign continues to make a real difference to children across the county – and for seven-year-old Harry, it’s been life-changing.
The Little Heroes campaign encourages regular school attendance while supporting emotional wellbeing to enable children to feel happy, confident, and ready to learn.
Harry Bell moved from a tiny primary school of only 30 pupils to Winshill Village Primary School with over 200 children.
This transition was very overwhelming for Harry and, despite every effort and support from home and school, Harry remained anxious. Every day became a battle with him becoming upset and not wanting to go to school.
Then came Helpful Bear, a cuddly toy with a special backpack for worries, introduced as part of the Little Heroes campaign. For Harry, Helpful Bear became both a comfort and turning point.
Harry, from Burton upon Trent, said:
“Helpful Bear takes care of me. When I feel sad, he makes me very happy. He’s got a special backpack for me to put my worries in and gives the best cuddles.
“We’ve been on lots of adventures together, he makes me feel brave so I can do things all on my own when he’s with me. He’s my new best friend.”
Harry’s mum, Fran Bell, said:
“I’m so proud of Harry and how far he’s come.
“Harry has a hearing disability, so moving to a new school with more children, new faces, a new building and a new routine was very overwhelming for him. It would have been easy to keep Harry at home when he was anxious, but we knew he needed to be in school to thrive.
“Helpful Bear became a vital connection between home and school, enabling Harry to express his emotions and communicate through notes in its backpack about how he was feeling.
“Now, instead of clinging to me at the school gates, he walks in happily – his confidence and independence have grown so much.”
Janet Higgins, Cabinet Member for Education and SEND at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“We are so proud of the new addition of Helpful Bear to our Little Heroes campaign.
“We know that emotional wellbeing plays a vital role in school attendance, and our campaign is helping to tackle those challenges while encouraging children to talk about how they’re feeling and understand that it’s okay to worry sometimes.
“Helpful Bear is having such a positive impact on the children, including Harry, to support them to attend school every day.”
Lydia Howard, Headteacher at Winshill Village Primary and Nursery School, said:
“Helpful Bear has become a much-loved character, helping children feel safe and supported, especially during morning transitions. For some, like Harry, it’s been transformative, turning anxiety into enthusiasm about school.
“The campaign makes attendance feel rewarding and connects with what matters most: friendships, kindness and community. It’s had a real impact, and we’re already seeing attendance improve across the school.”
For more information, visit the Little Heroes webpage.