Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawke's Bay

The potential of our region is closely aligned to the potential of our youth. When we guide them in the right direction, we all win. With you on our side, we will.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hawke's Bay is a registered charity matching young people with supportive adult role models. We are committed to establishing and supporting long term, consistent and meaningful mentoring relationships, making our community safer and more connected for youth.

WHERE WILL YOUR DONATION GO?

Your donation will remain in Hawke's Bay and helps by placing a BBBS mentor in a young person's life. Big Brothers Big Sisters is committed to maintaining and supporting the vital mentoring relationships we create to support our youth.

BBBS matches children (aged 6 - 12 years) with volunteer mentors. We believe every child should have the opportunity to reach his or her full potential - Kia eke noa a taiohi.

Serving as role models, our mentors teach by example the importance of giving and giving back, of staying in school, and of having respect for family, peers, and community. Each time we match a child with a mentor we start something incredible – a life-changing relationship built on friendship, trust, and empowerment.

BBBS mentoring programme provides a young person with a role model and a friend to talk to and share the experiences of growing up with. Through regular outings, a relationship is developed between the mentor and the mentee that is built on trust and common interests and is supported by our experienced Mentor Coordinators. The result is a life-changing experience for both the mentor and the mentee. The programme strives to do the following:

• provide a role model and a friend,

• promote the importance of staying in school and healthy relationships with family and peers,

• instil trust and self-confidence in order to make healthy decisions,

• encourage leadership skills and independent thinking,

• and above all, make a difference while having fun.

In our last annual report we found:

• 96% of parents/whānau and mentors noticed their young person's self-confidence improve.

• 86% of parents saw an increase in their child's academic performance.

• 80% of parents saw an improvement in their child's relationship with family and 83% with child's peers.

Thank you for your support in helping that child to raise their head to face the world with a smile on their face.