Record number of mentor matches.
Big Brothers Big Sisters in New Zealand just broke a new record – in the last 12 months 541 children and young people benefitted from the friendship of a Big Brother or Big Sister. This record has been made possible through the support of our generous sponsors and funders across the country and of course is also only achieved through the tireless efforts of our awesome volunteers.
At Big Brothers Big Sisters we are proud of the number of children we serve (541 in the past 12 months which is a 12% improvement on the previous year), but we are particularly proud of the quality of the relationships we provide.
We know that the longer a child is matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister and the stronger their relationship, the more positive the outcomes. Across the country the average length of each Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring relationship is 22 months for our Community Bases Programmes and 12 months for our School Based Programmes. However, many matches are now well into their fourth and fifth years of friendship. The research tells us that this mentoring taking place will make a lasting, positive impact in these young lives.