Families in Swindon are being invited to give their children a little extra encouragement before the new school year, with Matalan’s Confidence Caravan arriving at Greenbridge this weekend.
The Confidence Caravan will visit Matalan Greenbridge Retail & Leisure Park on Sunday, 30 August, from 10.30am to 4.30pm, offering families the chance to add a personalised message to their child’s new school uniform.
Parents and carers can choose from messages including ‘You’re braver than you know’, ‘Believe in yourself’, ‘Always be yourself’ and ‘We’re always behind you’.
The messages will be added as soft labels to the uniform by professional seamstresses, giving children a small reminder of encouragement to take with them when they head into the classroom.
There will also be a dedicated photo opportunity for families, providing a chance to capture a moment from the preparations for the new school year.
The initiative comes as Childline figures highlight some of the worries children and young people can face when returning to school or college.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, Childline delivered 1,531 counselling sessions in which returning to school or college was mentioned. Mental and emotional health was the main concern in 39 per cent of those sessions.
August was the busiest month, with 330 counselling sessions mentioning the return to school or college. Where the child’s age was known, 64 per cent of these sessions involved children aged between 12 and 15.
The Confidence Caravan forms part of Matalan’s wider BIG THEM UP Back to School campaign and its long-running partnership with the NSPCC.
The two organisations are also sharing advice for parents and carers on helping children feel more prepared for the new school year.
Suggestions include encouraging children to write down how they are feeling, establishing simple routines, talking about what their school day will involve, making time for activities they enjoy and keeping an eye out for changes in behaviour which might suggest they need extra support.
Aisha Jakhura, Head of Brand at Matalan, said returning to school could be an exciting time, but also one which brought uncertainty for some children.
“Going back to school can be a really exciting time for children, but we know it can also bring feelings of nervousness and uncertainty – particularly when they’re starting somewhere new or facing a big change,” she said.
“We wanted to create the Confidence Caravan as a simple way for parents and loved ones to give children a little boost of encouragement that they can carry with them throughout the school day.”
She added that the partnership with the NSPCC was helping families look beyond school uniforms and other practical preparations.
“A small message like ‘Believe in yourself’ or ‘We’re always behind you’ can be a meaningful reminder that they are loved, supported and never alone.”
“Through our ongoing partnership with the NSPCC, we’re proud to be helping families look beyond the practical preparations for a new school year and think about how they can support their children’s confidence and emotional wellbeing too.”
Matalan has worked with the NSPCC for more than 20 years and says it has raised more than £12 million for the charity since 2004.
The company’s back-to-school campaign also includes its Price Locked Since 2023 range, covering selected schoolwear essentials which have remained at the same price or fallen in price since 2023.
For families in Swindon, the Confidence Caravan offers a chance to add something personal to the back-to-school preparations – and perhaps send children through the school gates with a little extra confidence.
The Confidence Caravan will be at Matalan Greenbridge Retail & Leisure Park, Swindon, on Sunday, 30 August, from 10.30am to 4.30pm.
