Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Canterbury aim to raise $15,000 by Friday

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

North Cantabrian Steve Baker has been a “big brother” to Aldrine for three years.

The pair play pool and golf together, they go to the beach, they make pancakes and go fishing.

He helped Aldrine make a raised garden bed for Aldrine’s mother, who uses a wheelchair.

Baker, who runs a small construction company, enjoyed helping him do what he wouldn’t normally.

North Cantabrians are being urged to get behind its first online campaign to raise funds for the region’s Big Brothers Big Sisters group.

With fundraising events postponed or cancelled due to the pandemic, the organisation said it had been unable to raise the money needed to run its youth mentoring programme.

It launched a Givealittle online fundraiser on April 1 and aims to raise $15,000 in 15 days (by April 15). As of 1.30pm on April 11, 55 donors had raised $9630 between them.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Canterbury matches adult mentors with tamariki who need extra support across Waimakariri and Hurunui. They recruit, train and support their volunteers.

Mentors spend an hour, once a week with the children sharing hobbies and interests.

Programme manager Ellie Le Gros said for some children in the programme, the weekly interaction with their mentor was the only time they spent outside their home or school, or had the undivided attention of an adult.

“You only need to give a little, to change a life,” she said.

Baker said: “A lot of them just want a friend.”

Several local schools were joining in the online appeal and raising money through mufti days and some North Canterbury businesses were acting as match funders.

Le Gros said local businesses that had given support included the owners of Rangiora Pak 'n Save, which donated $3000 and The Sugar Room in Kaiapoi.

The schools included St Patrick’s in Kaiapoi, Omihi, Southbrook and Loburn. They were doing mufti days with the theme of come as your mentor or someone you look up to, she said.

For the last eight years the group had a fundraiser breakfast, but with that normally attracting 250 attendees they could not hold it due to Covid restrictions.

It was a struggle, she said, so they were trying something new with the online appeal.
Cancer survivor Jake Bailey is the face of the fundraising appeal.

“Having someone to rely on when things are difficult, someone to listen to you without judgment and someone you know chooses to spend time with you can make all the difference while growing up”, he said.

One can donate to the appeal here: givealittle.co.nz...