There’s always a lot going on at Big Buddy. We are active in the media – in print, television, radio and Facebook – sharing our mentoring stories and news about everything from expansion plans to funding successes. Many of our stories come fresh from the field via coordinators, Big and Little Buddies, and mothers. They are always a good read!
We’d love to hear your stories about mentoring – please send them to us (here).
Kapiti local and mentor Pete Hobbs, 72, is testament to the more recent wave of thinking that suggests one should put the concept of retirement on the backburner and keep on keeping busy. Pete works full time as a painter-decorator and spends a few hours each week mentoring 9 year-old Sean Burkhalter. He says […]
Pete’s wisdom of years perfect for mentoring Sean Read More »
While finding kind-hearted male mentors to improve the lives of boys whose fathers are not around is a beautifully simple proposition, staffing and operating such a charity in Auckland, Wellington and Waikato requires a great deal of thought and coordination. South and East Auckland is no exception – areas that collectively require at least 30
From teaching men’s anger management to finding mentors for boys Read More »
Big Buddy has almost 400 mentors working with boys today, and the same again of retired Big Buddies. June 2018 marks the start of our regular Big Buddy Interviews that share with you the valuable experience and insights of our everyday mentoring heroes. A big move to New Zealand ten years ago also signalled a
From UK financial markets to Te Awamutu Big Buddy Read More »
On July 17 Big Buddy was privileged to have a young man represent us on TV3’s The AM Show with our CEO Paul Burns. Little Buddy Jeremiah from Papakura agreed to be waiting at his front door for Paul to pick him up at 6am sharp, and get him into the Eden Terrace studio for
Little Buddy Jeremiah steals the (AM) Show Read More »
In 2013, a poem was sent in by a Big Buddy called Roger, and it still speaks right to the heart of being fatherless today. The writer R.E. Hinchco who penned these verses knew the plight of boys whose fathers are not around. Quite simply, Big Buddy exists to provide ‘Jim’ with some of the
A heart wrenching poem for absent fathers Read More »
As Little Buddies absorb the often-subliminal lessons taught to them by their mentors, it’s not uncommon to find a Big Buddy feeling that his young charge occasionally has the upper hand. Our Wellington coordinator, Dave Burcher, recently took an amusing call from one of his area’s mentors. Whilst out exploring Wellington’s south coast, Big Buddy
Mentors learn lessons from boys too Read More »
July 2018 marks the start of our regular Big Buddy Interviews, where we share the valuable experience and insights of mentors from Auckland, Wellington and the Waikato. Auckland’s Roman Travers combines a pharmaceutical industry role and time with his young-adult family with writing, radio and TV
Key to confidence in extending comfort zones Read More »
This May, Waikato boy Morgan Glover was sponsored by Go Rentals and Barworks to attend Outward Bound for a week. The 14 year-old Little Buddy trained hard to get match-fit for a course that is known to develop the very things that Big Buddies look to bring out in these boys: resilience and independence. Thanks
Businesses help boy develop resilience and independence Read More »
We lose count of the number of mentoring relationships that make a difference. But in the case of Little Buddy Teina Kanohi and his Big Buddy Laurence Stanaway, we can definitely point out two occasions that the impact of their long-lasting relationship has had on readers. Firstly in 2014, reporter Cherie Howie wrote about them:
Mentoring withTeina and Laurence hits headlines….twice! Read More »
It’s just over two years since Ruth Kerr and Richard Aston posted news about their book Our Boys on the site, and the relevance of their thoughts, humour, research and experience is as strong today. As CEO until August 2017, Richard steered Big Buddy from a fledgling organisation operating under the wing of Man Alive,
‘Our Boys’ still a wealth of wisdom Read More »
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