The London boroughs of Hounslow, Havering and Hillingdon will be encouraging the whole community to take part in the vital work of child safeguarding for NSPCC Talk PANTS Week this October.

The children’s charity’s campaign, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year, has run in Haringey since 2022, but for the first time it is being run as a pan-London campaign and is available to communities across four boroughs, with the support of key partners across the capital.

Talk PANTS, which features a friendly dinosaur called Pantosaurus, helps children understand in an age-appropriate way that their body belongs to them, they have the right to say ‘no’ and they can speak out if anything does not feel right.

The PANTS acronym was created to give parents an easy way to approach the subject. It stands for:  
Privates are private  
Always remember your body belongs to you  
‘No’ means no  
Talk about secrets that upset you  
Speak up – someone can help 

From October 14th until the 18th, events will take place across the participating boroughs; including a day at Hillingdon Theatre, workshops in delivering PANTS sessions for professionals who work with children, and visits from Pantosaurus himself.

There will also be the opportunity for parents and carers to attend online hour-long information session between October 8th and 17th. These will address questions
about what Talk PANTS is, and what resources are available. Sign up here or email londonsoutheastcampaigns@nspcc.org.uk for more information.

Meanwhile teachers, early years professionals and community leaders can support this year’s Talk PANTS Week by using the resources and holding Talk PANTS lessons and activities.

Hayley Garner, NSPCC Local Campaigns Manager for London and the South East, said: “Thank you to everyone who is taking part and helping to keep the children of London safe. We’d love you all to take pictures of your Talk PANTS week and post to your organisation’s social media, using the hashtag #PanLondonTalkPANTS24.
“We look forward to seeing you!”

As part of the campaign, the NSPCC is giving out Talk PANTS resource bags to local schools and organisations across participating boroughs. These bags were made possible by generous donations in memory of the NSPCC trustee Anita Green, and will include a lesson plan, display pack, a Pantosaurus plushie, and storybook.

To learn more about the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS campaign and the Underwear Rule, visit the charity’s website and search for ‘Talk PANTS.’

The NSPCC also operates Childline, a safe, confidential 24-hour service for children, on 0800 1111.