Families in Preston are being invited to give their children an extra confidence boost ahead of the new school year, as Matalan’s Confidence Caravan arrives at its Bamber Bridge store on Saturday 22nd August.

The travelling caravan forms part of Matalan’s wider Back to School campaign, which sees the retailer continuing its long-standing partnership with the NSPCC to help families prepare children not only practically, but emotionally, for the return to school.

The Confidence Caravan will be at Matalan Bamber Bridge from 10:30am to 4:30pm, giving local families the opportunity to add a personal message of encouragement to their child’s new Matalan school uniform.

Parents and loved ones can choose from a selection of confidence-boosting messages, including “You’re braver than you know”, “Believe in yourself”, “Always be yourself” and “We’re always behind you”. The messages are applied as soft labels to the uniform by professional seamstresses, creating a small but meaningful reminder that children can carry with them throughout the school day.

As part of the initiative, families attending the Confidence Caravan will also have the opportunity to mark the back-to-school milestone through a dedicated photo opportunity, capturing a memorable moment as children prepare for the new school year.

The Confidence Caravan comes as new Childline data highlights the emotional pressures that returning to school can bring for children and young people. Between April 2025 and March 2026, Childline delivered 1,531 counselling sessions in which returning to school or college was mentioned. In 39% of these sessions, mental and emotional health was the primary concern, making it the most common issue discussed.

Back-to-school worries were also shown to peak in August, with 330 counselling sessions mentioning returning to school or college during the month as children prepared to head back to the classroom. Where age was known, 64% of these counselling sessions involved children aged 12–15.

As part of the wider campaign, Matalan and the NSPCC are sharing five practical ways parents and carers can help children feel more confident and prepared for the new school year. Advice includes encouraging children to write down their feelings, establishing simple routines, talking through what the school day will look like, making time for activities they enjoy and looking out for changes in behaviour that could indicate they need additional support.

Aisha Jakhura, Head of Brand at Matalan said: “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.

“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. 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.”

The Confidence Caravan is part of Matalan’s “BIG THEM UP” Back to School campaign, which aims to help children start the new academic year feeling confident, supported and ready for what lies ahead. Getting ready for a new school year is a little easier with Matalan's Price Locked Since 2023 range. It brings together qualifying schoolwear essentials that have stayed at the same price - or dropped - since 2023. From shirts and trousers to skirts, jumpers and cardigans, find all the everyday staples children need to head back to school. (T&Cs apply)

Matalan has worked with the NSPCC for more than two decades and has raised more than £12 million for the charity since 2004, helping to support its work protecting children across the UK.

Families in Preston can visit the Confidence Caravan at Matalan Bamber Bridge on Saturday 22nd August, from 10:30am-4:30pm.