“Social change will not come to us like an avalanche down the mountain. Social change will come through seeds growing in well-prepared soil – and it is we, like the earthworms, who prepare the soil.”I am inspired to be an earthworm, not necessarily to impress, but to help young people to be heard and told they are worth it.

“Every child in New Zealand deserves the attention and friendship of a mentor”.  When I reviewed my life and the lives of my friends I saw that many of us had the privilege of an older mentor/coach/teacher that took us, befriended us and encouraged us in life and BBBS gives me the opportunity with ONE HOUR, WEEKLY to contribute to a young person that may not have that privilege.

Tim has a successful background in business and has worked with a number of voluntary organisations as a mentor including The Big Issue in London and BBBS in Christchurch. Tim joined the BBBS Board in 2005 and he was elected as its chair in 2008.

Back in 2001 a bit of research in my community told me that the biggest problem for young people was the lack of positive adult role models. Police, schools and community workers were convinced that correcting that would be enough to get many young people off the slippery slope their lives were on. So we started offering mentoring in a local Intermediate School and have grown considerably from there. As a mentor myself I am showered with positive feedback from school, community, home and my own mentee as to what a difference my simply spending time with and encouraging him has made.

My clinical psychology qualification has required me to read widely on what actually makes a difference in people’s lives. There are plenty of programs and therapies with fancy names but preventative measures win hands down and mentoring is one of the most effective tools we have. For me that’s huge and because it’s evidence that BBBS is actually making a real difference.

I remember trying to make sense of the confusing world I lived in as a young person. It was very challenging and lonely but being able to talk with an attentive friend cheered me up immediately. Today, I give some time and attention to help young people make sense of their world and have fun along the way