Media Release
01 September 2009

Big Buddy ‘Fatherless Day’

Big Buddy, the charitable organisation that matches volunteer male mentors to fatherless boys, launches its first-ever fundraising appeal – the Big Buddy Fatherless Day appeal –on Father’s Day, Sunday 6 September 2009.

Donations to can be made online via www.bigbuddy.org.nz, or simply TXT "DAD" to 883 to make an instant $3 donation.

For thousands of New Zealand boys, Father’s Day is just another reminder that they have no father in their lives. This is more than sad – boys who grow up without fathers are at greater risk of developing behavioural disorders, abusing drink and drugs, attempting suicide, and committing crimes.

The statistics related to boys who grow up fatherless are compelling and heartbreaking. Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft says that 83% of the youth offenders he sees in his courts are male and 70% come from single parent families. “Very few serious youth offenders come from stable, two-parent, homes,” says Judge Becroft. “On the other hand, not every solo parent breeds a criminal. Nor am I making judgments about separation. What I’m saying is that most serious young offenders lack a positive male role model.”

“Boys need good male role models in their lives to become good men,” says Big Buddy Chief Executive Richard Aston. “At Big Buddy, we have nothing but admiration for solo mothers who courageously tackle the tough job of raising boys on their own – but they cannot model maleness. And boys learn through modelling. What we do is match fatherless boys with well-screened male mentors who can foster a relationship similar to that of, say, an uncle.”

“We currently provide mentors for more than 140 fatherless boys in Auckland and Wellington but we know there are thousands more boys throughout New Zealand who are growing up without the guiding hand of a good man. That’s why this Father’s Day, after over a decade of operation, we’re launching our first-ever public funding appeal.”

Big Buddy recruits and carefully screens men from the community who then commit to spending at least three hours a week with a boy aged 7 to 12 for at least a year. During these times, man and boy don’t have to do anything particularly special – just kicking a ball around or going for a walk can be all it takes. The main thing is that the Big Buddy turns up regularly, he listens to his Little Buddy, and they spend quality time together. A regular weekly phone call adds continuity to the relationship.

“The classroom is just one place where boys learn to model maleness. I believe we need to look at a ‘spectrum of fathering’ that can include an extended family member, a neighbour, or a screened volunteer Big Buddy mentor. Someone who can show them what it means to be a good friend, son, brother, partner, and citizen.”

ENDS

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