Big Buddy
A model project for boys
It’s not easy trying to learn how to be a good man when you don’t have one around to show you how to do it.
Statistics show that knowing there is a man
they can rely on improves a boy’s feeling of
self-worth.
The Henderson-based Big Buddy scheme’s answer is to team up boys who do not have a father in their lives with a volunteer they can trust to show up and take an interest.
Chief Executive Richard Aston says that because boys learn how to be a man through modeling, all they need from their Big Buddy is someone who will listen, give them some time and give them a sense of place in the world.
“The idea is simple, yet profound,” he says. “Just a good man showing up in a boy’s life every week, assuring him another man cares for him and giving him a model of what it means to be a man. No coaching, no psychological behaviour management, no blaming of parents.”
The statistics show that knowing there is a man they can rely on improves a boy’s self worth, he does better at school and he is less inclined to turn to crime and abuse in later years, Richard says.
The mentoring scheme has now spread Auckland-wide, with 70 Big Buddy teams in action from Orewa to Papakura.
We granted the programme $140,000 last year to help it expand.
It’s been important to provide the Big Buddy Mentoring Trust with a stable funding base so it can continue to develop strong management and professionalism – essential for a group working with such vulnerable members of our society.
By allowing young boys to experience positive interactions and outcomes in a way that is "young buddy friendly", this programme is attempting to address a number of social issues. We hope that our funding plays a pivotal role.