Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gisborne - Tairāwhiti

Big Brothers Big Sisters month kicks off today with our new campaign - so dust off them short shorts and get donating!

Friday September 27th is our official short shorts day - are you up for the challenge? Wear your short shorts to work, wear your short shorts to school, wear your short shorts to help us shorten our waitlist!

How can you join in the fun?
TAKE A PIC: Take a pic in your short shorts and upload to social media with hashtag
TEXT: STUBBIES to 4462 to make a $3 donation!
TELL YA MATES: Get a group together and rock them short shorts in a group photo!
EMAIL: Send your pics through to [email protected] for us to share on our socials!
All proceeds will be going towards empowering our tamariki to be the best that they can be!

....Maybe you're more of a "Big Nan" and that's great! Our mentors come from all walks of life and all age groups. Whether young or young at heart, there's a place for everyone to make a difference. 🥰 Get in touch to learn more about becoming a mentor.

Where do you wear your Stubbies?
This September 27th we are asking everyone to dust off their Stubbies to help Big Brothers Big Sisters shorten their waitlist of over 400 kiwi kids waiting for a mentor and positive role model in their lives..
Here's how it works:
🩳Wear your stubbies on the 27th September
🩳Donate on our website www.bringbackstubbies.co.nz or Text to Donate (number coming in Sept.)
🩳Post your pictures/videos online using the hashtag
🩳Tag our page Bring Back Stubbies and share to your friends

Short Shorts for a Shorter Waitlist!
Ngā mihi, Aotearoa.

Kia ora, Aotearoa!

Big Brothers Big Sisters is stoked to announce the launch of our Stubbie September campaign on the 27th of September. That’s right, stubbies are making a comeback, and we’re on a mission to bring back those iconic short shorts your relatives rocked in the 70s and 80s… or maybe still do!

Right now, over 400 Kiwi kids across the motu are waiting for a positive role model and friend. With your help, we can recruit and train new Mentors for our tamariki. We need Kiwis to get behind us and encourage their workplaces, sports teams and other groups to get involved.

There's heaps of time to get your shorts dusted off and showcase your winter legs -no fake tan necessary! It’s all just a bit of fun for a good cause. Share your pics on social media with the hashtag . Don’t forget to dig out those photos of the relatives at the Sunday BBQ sporting their ‘one size too small’ shorts (with their permission, of course) and share them too. Let’s create a celebration of short shorts in all the little pockets of this fine country..

Visit our website www.bringbackstubbies.co.nz to make a donation now or wait until September's TXT-DONATE campaign.
Thanks everyone!!

Join us, bring back stubbies – short shorts for a shorter waitlist!

WE NEED YOUR HELP - DO YOU HAVE A SPARE HOUR EACH WEEK?

Unfortunately, we are at critically low levels of male mentors, while our list of male taiohi (young people) grows.
HELP US BY -
⭐ Encouraging people you know to connect with us to find out about becoming a mentor
⭐ Attending an info session to learn more, get in touch to make a time.
⭐ Liking, commenting on, and sharing this post

🎉 What a fantastic time we had at the Big Brothers Big Sisters Match Event last weekend at the Gymnastics Club! 🤸‍♂️✨ It was a morning filled with laughter and joy as our bigs and littles utilised all of the amazing equipment the club has to offer!

A huge thank you to Nolans Law for their generous sponsorship and support. Your contribution made this event possible and brought so much happiness to our little community. 🙌💙

Hope. In a perfect world, we’d swim around in the stuff, as endless as the sea that laps our shores. Sadly, our world is far from perfect and people have to scratch around for the hope that enables them to see how they’re connected, how they can change the world for better, what amazing destinies their future might hold. Thankfully, there are groups like Big Brothers Big Sisters who make it their mission to foster hope, resilience, and strong bonds in our local young people. (And give a few older people the chance of feel pretty amazing in return.)

For over a century, around the world, BBBS has been matching community-minded, generous-spirited “Bigs” with a local young person in need of a stable, reliable, and fun role model in their life. For over a quarter century, New Zealand BBBS have helped tamariki and rangatahi tackle the many challenges they face in their life. And thankfully for our community, BBBS have just established youth mentoring in Gisborne-Tairāwhiti.

BBBS make sure that the mentors and young people are perfectly matched. Young people are overcoming all sorts of unique barriers and adversity like violence, poverty, crime, identity challenges, or mental health issues. So they are carefully matched with just right – screened and trained – adult.

I’m sure we all can rewind the reel of our life and see the friendly face of that older person we looked up to, who we trusted, who made us feel seen, who saw something great in us that we couldn’t see, who in reflection, seemed to know that we were at a loose end and needed them. Grabbing hold of the end of the rope for a young person… what a gift that is to give.

Since launching in Gisborne in 2023, BBBS have made 14 matches, like Rhys (tuakana) and Khiyahn (teina) in the photo. But there are 6 young people waiting for a mentor, with more in our community. BBBS would love to find and train more mentors to match this need. If you’ve read this and see a shape of yourself in these words or in the photo, a real-life hope-maker, please reach out to the local branch of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gisborne - Tairāwhiti and take the next steps to becoming a mentor. If the smile on Rhys's face is any indicator, being a mentor would look good on us! https://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.nz/gisborne-tairawhiti

😎😎The future seems brighter for our young people when they have someone to walk alongside them.

Our data clearly shows how much of an impact a volunteer mentor (tuakana) can make on the life of their young person (teina).

If you would like to find out more about becoming a mentor, contact us today!

Professional, Qualified & Tested – Our Mentor Training Changes Lives Mentoring relationships change young people’s lives. With training and professional support, Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors form strong positive relationships with their mentees that express care, challenge growth, share power, and expand possibilities.

In these challenging times, our community's strength lies in our ability to support one another. Big Brothers Big Sisters is seeking compassionate individuals to step up as mentors. By becoming a mentor, you can provide guidance, encouragement, and hope to a young person in need. Get in touch to learn more about this awesome programme.

**UPDATE**
Still a few more spaces available e te whānau. Come along and join us as we learn from some amazing local champions about all things rewana, rongoa, raranga and more!

Link to registration form in comments.

Nau mai, haere mai.

--------------------------

Kia Ora e te whānau,

We are so grateful to offer you this wānanga! 🌱 It will be on Thursday 18 July, during the school holidays for one full day.

Registrations are a must - either scan the QR Code or use the Link below. The info can be pm’d or emailed back to us at [email protected]

Nau mai, haere mai ✨

Registration link - https://rb.gy/61qaoz

Mānawatia a Matariki to our BBBS Gisborne Tairāwhiti Whānau✨️

Enjoy your long weekend connecting with loved ones and celebrating the Māori New Year.

“He waka eke noa.” – We are all in this together.

Have any questions about mentoring or enrolling your child on our programme?? Swing by our Big Brother Big Sisters stand at the Farmers Market today and chat with Tiff 😁😁

🏉🎣 New Match Alert 🎣🏉 Introducing Trevor (Big) and Maddox (Little) – our latest powerhouse match! These two guys are all about sports, kapa haka, the beach, and fishing. When they're not on the field or out on the water, you'll find them trying new foods and mastering some skills in the kitchen!

Big Brothers Big Sisters NZ is back on for June!

One NZ are giving 10 charities the chance to compete for a share of $100,000 - please vote for us so we can support many more young people across Aotearoa through our mentoring programme. We have hundreds of young people across the motu needing a positive role model in their life.

Go online now, scroll across to Big Brothers Big Sisters NZ and click on your tokens to vote for us - you have 5 tokens. Thank you.

One Good Kiwi Welcome to One Good Kiwi. A new way to give.

A huge shoutout to Nolans Gisborne Lawyers for fueling our board game morning at our Big Brothers Big Sisters match event last Saturday. Pizza + Board Games + Cupcakes - what a combo!

Meet Trevor, Jolene and Sue 🤗 These three recently applied to become a youth volunteer mentor and just completed their in-person group mentor training. We are so grateful for you guys, we hope you enjoy your mentoring journey!

It's never too late to sign up and become a Big Brother or Big Sister. Find out more at https://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.nz/gisborne-tairawhiti

You only need to be YOU!
You don't need any specific qualifications or special skills. You just have to want to have a positive impact on a young person in need. Role models come in all shapes and sizes, and you could be a perfect fit! Get in touch for more info today!

🎉✨😄 "It's just so much fun. We both get something out of it and it's a really magical experience" ✨🧚‍♀️🌸
YOU could be a mentor just like Jill, no special skills required! Get in touch to organise an information session today! 📞💌📲

Want more info? Sign up for an info session now! Don’t miss out on supporting a young person who really needs someone to show up for them this year. Full training is provided. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister and make a real difference to your life and theirs. Request an Information Session via the link below:
https://form.jotform.co/72326995463871

🌳💫 Meet the latest delightful duo: our very own BBBS Manager, Tiffany (Big) and Poppy (Little) 🌸💃 These two are all about spreading joy! 🐾🎶 They both love animals, singing, dancing and playing. Catch them belting out tunes in the car, feeding the ducks or skipping along the boardwalk!

👀👀👀We are looking for volunteers! 👀👀👀 Being a mentor is a rewarding experience that allows you to give back to your community. With the support of Big Brothers Big Sisters, you’ll have access to training, resources, and a network of like-minded individuals who are committed to making a positive impact. Get in touch for more information or visit 👉 https://www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.nz/our-mentor-training

Quality Youth Mentoring, that works with Big Brothers Big Sisters NZ We believe potential lives within every young person and that it only takes a few committed, positive adult role models to ignite that potential. Big Brothers Big Sisters aims to provide one of those trusted adults.

🌟Grateful for the opportunity to share our Big Brothers Big Sisters mission with Dana Kirkpatrick MP for East Coast 🌟 It's wonderful to see leaders like Dana taking the time to understand and support our kaupapa.

👩‍👩‍👧‍👦Not only is mentoring a fantastic way to give back to your community, it's also a wonderful way to meet like-minded, kind-hearted individuals who are on the same mentoring journey.

We run regular group events for all of our matches to get together for some fun! Group events are an important place for our amazing Teina/Littles to be active, challenge themselves, grow their confidence, and see they are part of something bigger! 💪

It's always a highlight for us to see the incredible connections and friendships between our Tukana/Bigs and Teina/Littles and the community built between our mentoring matches. 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦

Many young people are coming from homes where there is an absence of a positive male role model for any number of reasons. Male volunteer mentors help to bridge this gap. By giving your time, you will make a positive difference to a boy, which will affect his life for years to come. If you have a spare hour each week to dedicate to a "little brother" or want to hear more information please get in touch!

Very grateful to Kim Parkinson at the The Gisborne Herald for helping to share our kaupapa! 📰🗞️

Stepping into the lives of others - The Gisborne Herald The number of children on the waiting list for Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Gisborne Tairāwhiti is growing, and new mentors are needed. Kim Parkinson talked to coordinator Tiffany Zyp on the programme’s one-year anniversary. Tiffany Zyp...

📣❗️ We have 450 children on our waiting list nationwide! 📣❗️ Learn more about how becoming a mentor can make a BIG impact in your community.

Chelsey Harnell talks to TVNZ Breakfast

🌊Wednesday Waiting List Wipe Out 🌊

We're on a mission to wipe out our waiting list and create life-changing connections! Meet incredible kids like Michael, eagerly waiting for a Big Brother to call his own. 🙋‍♂️🙍‍♂️

Take a moment to look at Michael's profile. Could you be the missing piece in the puzzle? 🧩 Send us a message to find out more – together, we can ignite brighter futures! 🔥

🌟 Exciting News Alert! 🌟

🎉 Introducing our newest match, Big Sister Rayna and Little Sister Georgia! 🎈

👭 Let's give a warm welcome to Rayna and Georgia as they start this amazing journey together! 🏊‍♀️☀️ We can't wait to see all the fun and adventures these two awesome buddies are gonna have together!