Matalan stores in north Wales support the NSPCC this Christmas with pop-up stalls and exclusive Pantosaurus plush toy

 

 

 

 

• Stores in Bangor and Rhyl make way for Pantosaurus toy in support of NSPCC
• Pantosaurus is the popular dinosaur mascot of the children’s charity’s Talk PANTS campaign
• Matalan is one of NSPCC’s longest-running partners, raising over £10.7m to date

Just in time for Christmas, Matalan has created a soft toy of the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS campaign mascot, Pantosaurus.

The friendly pants-wearing dinosaur has helped over a million parents talk to their child about keeping safe from sexual abuse, and explaining – in age-appropriate language and a catchy song (in both English and Welsh) – how their privates are private.

This Christmas, Matalan is supporting the campaign by releasing an exclusive cuddly version of Pantosaurus, to help parents start that important conversation with their child. Half of the profits from the sale of the cuddly dinosaur will also go directly to the NSPCC.

Recently, more than a dozen Matalan stores have supported the charity with special pop-ups on their shop floors, which stock NSPCC merchandise to raise money to support children and young people across the country – including in Bangor and Rhyl.

Matalan is one of the NSPCC’s longest-running partners and has raised more than £10.7m for the charity to date, from in-store fundraising activities, charity balls, and employee fundraising including marathons, skydives and more.

Since 2015, Matalan has sold NSPCC merchandise in its stores but this is the first time an area of floorspace has been designated solely for the charity’s latest products – including shopping bags, badges and keyrings, colouring books, crayon sets and lunch bags – with 100% of proceeds from these areas going directly to the children’s charity.

Jeff Howard, Director of Marketing for Matalan, said: “We love the new NSPCC Pantosaurus toy, and we’re sure our customers will too. We’re proud to have such a long-running and successful partnership with the NSPCC.

“The latest pop-up areas in our stores in North Wales are a great addition to our shops, and we’re sure Pantosaurus will be a firm favourite this Christmas. Helping raise money to support children and young people across the UK is more important than ever.”

Jess Finnegan, NSPCC Cymru Community Fundraising Manager for North Wales, said: “We’re so pleased that our partners at Matalan have really embraced the idea of the new pop-up stalls, and we hope the customers do too.

“The plush Pantosaurus looks great, and proceeds from it and the sale of our bags, books and crayon sets will go towards helping young people who need it most, so we’re hugely grateful to everyone who picks up a treat in store while Christmas shopping this year.”

Founded in 1985, Matalan’s mission has always been to give families outstanding quality at outstanding prices. 12 million UK families each year trust Matalan with their family budgets – to provide the range, style, quality and value that enable them to run a happy family home.

As of September 2020, Matalan has an impressive 228 UK stores and 36 international franchise stores within Europe and the Middle East, supported with a rapidly growing online channel.

Throughout the pandemic, the NSPCC has ensured it is still here on the front line for children, supporting those who need Childline and its other services most. With restrictions continuing and the Christmas holidays approaching, the NSPCC is expecting demand on its services to increase and want to make sure no child is left to cope alone.

The Pantosaurus soft toy costs £7 and is available to buy in Matalan stores in Wales and online here – it will also be making a debut appearance in Matalan’s Christmas TV advert.

To find out more, including how you can help the NSPCC and Childline, go to www.nspcc.org.uk