Children in Stone can now find a new friendly face at the library, as a county-wide scheme aimed at helping young people manage worries expands into local branches.
Stone Library is among 16 Staffordshire libraries now home to Helpful Bear, a soft toy introduced through Staffordshire County Council’s Little Heroes campaign.
The campaign is designed to support children’s emotional wellbeing and help tackle anxiety-related barriers to school attendance. By bringing Helpful Bear into libraries as well as schools, the council says more children will be able to access support, including those whose schools are not yet part of the scheme.
At Stone Library, children will be able to find Helpful Bear with a small backpack where they can place notes about any worries they may have. The idea is to give them a simple and private way to express how they are feeling.
Libraries taking part will also have Helpful Heroes workbooks available. These include age-appropriate mindfulness activities to help children understand and manage their emotions.
The expansion comes as more than 80 per cent of primary schools in Staffordshire are already taking part in the Little Heroes programme.
Janet Higgins, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for education and SEND, said the move would help more children get support in places they already know and use.
“It’s wonderful to see our campaign continuing to grow, with even more creative ways to support children’s emotional wellbeing.
“Helpful Bear is already making a real difference and quickly becoming a much-loved companion for many children across Staffordshire.
“I’m excited that both Helpful Bear and our Helpful Heroes workbooks will now be available in our libraries as well as schools. It means even more children can open up about their feelings, manage their worries, and get the support they need, wherever they are.”
For Stone families, the library setting may make that support feel a little more accessible. It is somewhere many children already visit for story time, school holiday activities, or to choose books, and now it has become part of a wider effort to help children talk about how they are feeling.
Stone Library is one of the branches included from this week, alongside libraries in Stafford, Newcastle, Tamworth, Uttoxeter, Leek and Lichfield among others.
More information about the Little Heroes campaign is available via Staffordshire County Council.
