Big Buddy was hosted by The Royal New Zealand Navy in mid-July and were lucky enough to be able to board the HMNZS Canterbury.
The OOD (Officer of the Day) took 20 excited Big and Little Buddies on a tour of the Officers Mess, Kitchen, Dining Hall, Control Room, Sleeping Quarters, Gym, Cargo Hold, the Bridge, and even witnessed a fire fighting display up on the ‘Flight Deck’.
Big Buddy matches volunteers, good guys from the community to boys without a dad in their lives. The boys are aged between 7 and 14. The Big Buddy relationship offers friendship, support and a good male role model to help the boys grow up into good men.
Big Buddy Mentoring Manager Mark Sander says “The navel base was buzzing with energy and we were all really excited, and being hosted by the Royal Navy was a real honour.
“the boys were all allowed to have a turn with the powerful hoses on the ship, while the Big Buddies all pretended to be Maverick in the movie Top Gun. There were many laughs, smiles and a few wet clothes!
And we got to see a vessel undergoing maintenance in the ‘drydock’, which led to much discussion on how it got in there without any water. The boys were full of very imaginative ideas,” he laughed
Being on the Bridge was one of the highlights of the day with amazing views across the harbour and a feeling of being on top of the world, especially sitting in the Captain’s Chair.
“It certainly planted the idea of a career in the Navy into the minds of some of boys.” Mark says.
Since 1997, over 1,200 boys without a dad in their life have been matched with a Big Buddy. This has only been achievable due to the volunteers who have provided regular contact and shown genuine interest in the life of their Little Buddy – showing the Little Buddy that this person is here for them and someone they can rely on as they grow up. To find out more about volunteering here: https://www.bigbuddy.org.nz/buddy-up/
Right now there are around 8,000 boys in New Zealand without fathers in their lives. These boys are navigating the challenges of life without the steady hand of a father to guide them.
With your help, Big Buddy can continue to match young boys with good men to offer friendship, support and a good male role model to look up to.
With 130 young boys currently on our waitlist, your support today is needed more than ever.
Your donation will help build confidence and resilience in the lives of boys whose fathers are not around.
