The Buddy Programme is a mentoring programme for children between the ages of 4 and 12 who are matched one-to-one with a trained adult Buddy. Presbyterian Support Southland work for positive change, strong families and healthy communities.
The children are referred from a variety of different agencies throughout the Queenstown and Arrowtown areas as well as by their own families. They are referred for a variety of reasons. They are all children whose life circumstances indicate a need for additional adult support.
The aims of the programme are:
Volunteers are matched with their Buddies depending on gender, personality and interests. Buddies range from 18-80+ years of age, and bring with them a wide variety of life experiences, and people from all walks of life are encouraged to apply.
Once accepted and trained volunteers will be introduced to their Buddy and activities decided on. Group activities are also organised by the Buddy Programme which offer new experiences for the children and Buddies.
Full training is provided which covers communication skills, child development, child abuse and family dynamics. Once accepted volunteers are provided with ongoing support and peer supervision.
A Police background check is required for this role.
Volunteers need to be able to commit to at least 12 months volunteering. Initial training takes 6-8 hours, followed by bi-monthly supervision between 1 and 2 hours. Volunteers then meet their Buddies approximately once a week for two - three hours.
The first step is to express your interest by filling out the form below. We will then put you in touch directly with the organisation for more information on the role and how to proceed.
Ref: 1806
Youth & Children
Volunteer South's office is closed from Friday 20th December until Monday January 6th. Many organisations listing roles online will also be taking a break. During this time your requests to connect will go through, however there may be some delay in you hearing from the organisations you select. Please be patient and if you have not heard back from them by mid January email them directly and give them a nudge. Thank you and have a wonderful holiday season and summer.
Dunedin