Bramwell Bate partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Zealand: Tuakana Teina
We are thrilled to be partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters. The programme supports nearly 1,000 children throughout the country every year by providing mentors to children facing challenges in the community; helping them work towards gaining their full potential. The volunteers are positive adult role models that aim to equip our kids to be happy, healthy, and better connected to local communities. Big Brothers Big Sisters relies entirely on community support and donations to ensure they provide a well-trained and well-resourced network of staff and volunteer mentors. Tamariki looking for a trusting friendship with a positive adult role model are paired with a volunteer mentor who has shared interests for regular, ongoing contact. Our sponsorship of Big Brothers Big Sisters programme will enable one child in our community to be teamed with a fully trained and supported mentor.
Research highlights the powerful, positive, lasting impact that mentors have on children’s lives. The BBBS model of mentoring has been affirmed by rigorous, ongoing external evaluation. This independent research has shown the positive relationships between youth and their Big Brothers and Big Sisters have a direct and measurable impact on children’s lives. Here in New Zealand, BBBS currently supports around 950 Kiwi kids each year in Auckland, Hamilton, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Rotorua, Manawatu, Whakatane, Wellington, Nelson-Tasman, North Canterbury, Christchurch, and Westland. With a proven track record of more than a century, BBBS is the world’s largest mentoring programme helping over 280,000 tamariki globally reach their potential through professionally supported mentoring relationships.
How the programme started:
In 1904, a young New York City court clerk named Ernest Coulter observed more and more boys come through his courtroom. He recognised that caring adults could help many of these kids stay out of trouble, and he set out to find volunteer mentors. At about the same time, the members of a group called Ladies of Charity were befriending girls who had come through the New York Children’s Court. These two initiatives marked the beginning of what has become an international organisation, operating in 13 countries.
As a regional firm, we take pride in continuing the tradition of utilising the legal industry to elevate children in our own community. We are proud to be a part of the fantastic work done by Big Brothers Big Sisters in Hawke’s Bay.