Ben and his friend Alex, who is cycling for the Cancer Society, started their tour of the country on the 18th of February in Cape Reinga, and will be riding the Tour Aotearoa Brevet route. For the ride, they are fully self-supported and will be aiming to cross the finish line in Bluff within 30 days.

As they make their way down the country they will get to see 30-check-in photo points, stunning New Zealand landscapes and when their legs get tired, they will be motivated by the causes they are supporting.

When Ben and Alex cycled through Auckland he said “Sometimes the challenge is not knowing how big the hill is before we climb it, but we take it one day at a time! It’s a great practise of mindfulness & makes me think about my buddy a lot and what I can share with them about preserving when I’m back.”

Ben has chosen to ride for Big Brothers Big Sisters Auckland as it is a charity close to his heart. Big Brothers Big Sisters Auckland is a mentoring organisation that matches vulnerable 6 to 12 year-olds, 'littles', with professionally screened and supported volunteer mentors, 'bigs’.

Having been a ‘Big Brother’ for three years in the mentoring program, Ben knows the significance of the mentoring relationships the charity provides. Ben says “Supporting this cause invests in young minds, fostering confidence and creating lasting relationships. - every kilometre is worth it! “

At current, Big Brothers Big Sisters supports 50 matches, which means 50 young rangatahi are receiving life-changing mentoring. One hour a week for initially a year, their mentors make a difference to mentee’s self-confidence, sense of self-worth, reduced truancy and improved focus in school, improved relationships with family, improved emotional control and more.

However, with 40,000 of Auckland’s children facing hardship such as a lack of financial resources, educational opportunities, and family violence, more needs to be done. Big Brothers Big Sisters estimates a huge majority of this number would benefit from a mentoring relationship with a stable and caring adult.

With each match costing $2400 to support one child a year, every dollar of fundraising and sponsorship is needed to make an impact. The calculated cost of each match includes mentor recruitment, vetting and screening, professional training, and also child assessment, and matching with a young person. There are also additional costs with ongoing supervision and support for the match.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Auckland thanks Ben for taking time off work to fundraise for their young people and making a true difference to his community and the futures of Auckland children.

If you would like to make a donation and support Ben’s fundraising efforts:

$25 supports a match with an activity out in the community.

$40 covers the intake process for a child.

$75 provides a family with social support from a professional for a month.

$150 supports a match and their whanau for an entire month.

Give a little: https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/cycling-for-a-cause-alex-and-bens-journey-acros-1

Website: https://bigbrothersbigsistersauckland.org.nz/

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