Big Brothers Big Sisters Wellington

Help a young person thrive – one hour, once a week, one life

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of Wellington, we believe every young person already has potential — they just need someone in their corner to help it grow.

Since launching in Wellington in 2018 and making our first match in 2019, we’ve been connecting tamariki with positive adult role models who show up consistently, build trust, and create real change.

We don’t “create” potential — we help defend and nurture it.

Through just one hour, once a week, our mentors (tuakana) build strong, lasting relationships with young people (teina), helping them grow in confidence, resilience, and belonging.

Why this matters

Many of the young people we support are facing challenges — from family stress to social isolation or low confidence. Having a trusted adult in their life can be life-changing.

And it works.

Young people in our programme are:

More confident in their learning

Better able to build positive relationships

More comfortable expressing their feelings

More connected to their communities

Less likely to engage in risky behaviour

What your donation makes possible

Your support directly funds safe, high-quality mentoring relationships by helping us:

Carefully recruit, screen, and train volunteer mentors

Provide ongoing professional support and supervision for every match

Support tamariki and their whānau throughout their journey

Deliver group activities and experiences that build confidence and connection

Work alongside schools, iwi, Police, and community partners

Monitor and evaluate every match to ensure safety and impact

Our vision

That every young person who needs a mentor has one.

Right now, we have young people on our waitlist who are still waiting for someone to show up just for them.

You can be part of their story

Every donation — big or small — helps us match another young person with a mentor who will stand beside them.

Because sometimes, all it takes is one hour, once a week, to change a life.

Ngā mihi nui 💜