An award-winning campaign which helps primary school children across Staffordshire build positive attendance routines while supporting their emotional wellbeing is returning for a third year.
Since launching in September 2024, the county council’s Little Heroes campaign has delivered a 2.46 per cent increase in attendance across participating primary schools. This has resulted in over 1,300 additional days of learning for children, with signed-up schools now performing above the national average for attendance.
To mark the Government’s National Year of Reading, this year’s campaign introduces a brand-new children's storybook, ‘Helpful Bear and his backpack of worries’. The book has been carefully designed to help younger children understand that it is normal to have worries and that sharing your worries can make a positive difference.
The storybook builds on the success of 'Helpful Bear', a comforting, cuddly character introduced through the campaign last year. Since launching, Helpful Bear has become a much-loved companion for children in schools across Staffordshire, helping them explore and share their worries in a safe and supportive way.
Aimed at Early Years and Key Stage 1 pupils, the story follows the origins of Helpful Bear and explores themes of friendship, resilience, emotional wellbeing and seeking support. Through its simple and reassuring message, the book encourages children to understand that every hero worries, and they do not have to face them alone.
Adding another local touch to the project, 11-year-old Charlie McGlynn from Wimblebury has provided the voice for the accompanying audiobook and Martin Voyle, a Staffordshire foster carer, has starred in a ‘read along with me’ video, helping bring Helpful Bear’s story to life for children across the county.
Councillor Janet Higgins, Cabinet Member for Education and SEND Staffordshire County Council, said:
We are incredibly excited to launch our brand-new storybook ‘Helpful Bear and his backpack of worries’ as part of this year's Little Heroes campaign. Helpful Bear has already captured the hearts of many children across Staffordshire, and we wanted to build on that success by creating a story that helps younger pupils understand their emotions and feel confident talking about their worries.
We hope the book becomes a well-loved addition to classrooms and school libraries helping children feel reassured that every hero worries and together, we can manage them.”
Thousands of children across Staffordshire have engaged with Little Heroes since its launch, with schools using its characters, resources and wellbeing activities to encourage positive attendance and help pupils feel happy, supported and ready to learn. The new storybook forms part of a wider package of resources being distributed to schools for the 2026/27 academic year.
To listen to the audiobook and watch our 'read along with me' videos, people should visit:
Helpful Bear audiobook
Helpful Bear and his backpack of worries - read along with Martin
