What Mentors Do

Mentoring sessions are a fun, relaxed time when young people and their Big Brother or Sister can hang out and build a friendship. Mentoring relationships are the most effective when they last a long time and when frequent contact is made.

We are a programme that has high standards – all participants are screened, monitored, and supported every step of the way. Mentors also commit to having regular accountability with our staff, and will be supported by them throughout the mentoring relationship.

“We casually talk while playing sport,” says one mentor when asked when about what they do during the mentoring sessions. “We don’t have time for any of that,” another mentor replies, “We talk and talk, I can’t get her to stop.”

Our school based programme is for volunteers who can offer their time during school hours. The newer community based programme caters for volunteers who can mentor out of school hours and weekends.

School based Mentoring

The school based programme is structured in a way that allows mentoring to begin as early as Year 1, so that the relationship can continue right through until high school and then in the community after that.

To be a school based mentor, you need to be able to offer one hour a week during school hours to see your child, as mentoring happens during the school day. You will be able to choose which of our participating schools you would like to mentor at. Many people mentor in a school close to their place of work or study.

Community Based Mentoring

Mentoring happens in the community, at the beach, walking on the Port Hills or just at the local coffee shop.

To be a community based mentor, you need to be able to offer one outing a week to see your child. You will need to complete four hours of training prior to getting underway.

If you’re interested in becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, contact the office on 358 4019, or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Why they bother

We’re all for having fun for fun’s sake but there is another, substantially more powerful, payback. As the relationships develop we notice that something really quite magical happens. Often quiet and unassuming in the beginning, these children begin to blossom.

Their confidence in school and at home grows, they interact more easily with their peers and they become more comfortable with who they are and what they have to give.This is not always the case but it happens often enough for us to believe that it is a worthwhile use of our time and community funds.

Alongside this, there is another pay-off: as is often the case in voluntary work, the mentors themselves get a tremendous amount from the process.

Mentoring opens your eyes to the real life struggles our young people face and the need for one-on-one attention and encouragement. For many young people, simply having a mentor turn up week after week is so important, as this provides a stable relationship which will help connect them to other people and to the community around them.

Become a Big Brother or Big Sister Now

We’re always interested in hearing from potential mentors, so contact us now to apply. Phone the office on 358 4019, or send us an email for more information.

As part of our application process, we’ll meet up with you over coffee and talk through the process of becoming a mentor. So pick up the phone and call us now.