NEW PROGRAMME:  BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP

We're proud to be part of a community where so many people want to help.

Partner businesses will release their employees during the workday so the employees can spend time mentoring our young people. We have two mentoring programmes running, and employees can fit into whichever one suits their work schedule:

School-Based Mentoring: For one hour per week during the school hours, our mentors head into the school to spend time with a young person doing fun activities together like bug hunting, playing sport, reading together, playing board games, and all sorts of other activities on the school site. 

Community-Based Mentoring: For one to four hours per week, after school or in the weekend, mentors spend time with a young person in the community. Mentors pick the young people up from their home and take them to do a variety of activities that Hawke's Bay has to offer. Mentors then drop the young person off at home.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

• Local businesses and local schools sign up with Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawke's Bay to be part of the Business Partnership programme

• Children aged 6-11 years old are referred to the mentoring programme

• Our team assesses the children and their need for a mentor.

• When a young person joins the waitlist, they are matched with a mentor volunteer from a nearby partner business.  All mentors are interviewed by BBBS, police vetted, referee checked and trained.

• Both the mentor and young person commit to the programme for a minimum of 12 months. 

• Once a week, the mentor meets their mentee either during school time or in the afternoon/weekend. Together they spend an hour or more having fun, experiencing new activities and the child is able to form a trusted friendship with a positive role model.

• All matches are managed and supervised by trained Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor Coordinators who check in monthly with the child, the whānau or school and the mentor. 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Employer benefits: Businesses can build and strengthen close relationships with their local school communities, and know that they are contributing to a proven and effective programme happening locally. Empowering employee volunteering is one way to bring business values to life, and improve job satisfaction and employee retention.  They are more likely to be top-of-mind as product or service providers for the hundreds of families that are part of our community.

School benefits:  Partner schools can help link students needing extra support to trusted adult role models. Schools report better engagement and attitude from students enrolled in the mentor programme.

Taiohi/Young person benefits: Improved relationship skills, social awareness, increased self-confidence and hope and optimism about the future. Better engagement and performance at school.

Tuakana/Mentor benefits: Joy in establishing and developing a positive relationship with a young person. Fulfilment reaches into other areas of their lives. They also gain insight into challenges faced by others.

Wider community benefits: Benefits for the mentor and mentee also benefit whānau, peers and the wider community, leading to a greater level of family and community connection, safer homes and communities and improved resilience. Research from the Boston Consulting Group found that every $1 invested in Big Brothers Big Sisters generated $18 in social return on investment.

PARTNER WITH US

For more information on the programme and to discuss the benefits to your business, please get in touch with us! We'd be delighted to talk to you