Big Brothers Big Sisters - Wellington

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS), also known as Tuakana-Teina, aims to make a positive difference in the lives of children and youth through professionally supported mentoring relationships. They facilitate the selection, training and development of a network of volunteer mentors across the country. These volunteers are matched with a young person for a minimum of one year. BBBS staff provide the framework and ongoing professional support and supervision, helping the match achieve the best outcomes for the young person.

This organisation offers:

-School-Based Mentoring, which provides primary aged tamariki with a role model and a friend to talk to and share the experiences of growing up within school grounds.
For one hour a week, for the duration of the school year, mentors meet with their mentee and engage in activities on school grounds.

-Community-Based Mentoring: This is the traditional Big Brothers Big Sisters relationship. It happens after school or on the weekend.
It’s all about an adult volunteer (over 18) and a young person (aged between 6 & 12) spending one-to-one time together, initially for one hour a week for a minimum of 12 months.
Most sessions take place in the community, at a library, a park, the beach or at other free facilities.

-School-Based Teen Mentoring. College-age students (years 11-13) mentor a young person at a local primary school for one hour each week. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides a resource box that the mentor and young person can use, full of activities and ideas.
This program is not available at all branches