Sir John Kirwan lends his time to support Big Buddy, making a positive difference for boys without fathers in their
lives.
Big Buddy, a Not for Profit that supports boys without fathers in their lives, is delighted to announce that Sir John
Kirwan will be appearing as a guest in "Buddy Banter", an online event series to raise funds for the organization. The
online series was created as a means of fundraising when planning for physical events proved difficult, as a result of
COVID19. Attendees access the event through online donation and the last guest speaker, who generously gifted his time,
was All Blacks coach Ian Foster. Sir John will speak on the increasing importance of prioritizing mental wellbeing
during times of stress and techniques to do so.
Says Paul Burns, CEO of Big Buddy NZ, "For most in our Big Buddy village and indeed throughout New Zealand, 2020 has
been a year characterized by uncertainty and, for many, increased anxiety - whether adult or child. Managing mindset and
paying attention to our own mental health, and that of those we care about, is more important than ever. We are really
honored to have Sir John donate some of his time to support Big Buddy to talk about this very important topic."
Over the years, Sir John Kirwan has been outspoken about the need to prioritize self-care and mental health. COVID19 has
seen a significant increase in demand for mental health services. Sir John was behind the development and launch of
Mentemia, a wellbeing app being delivered free during COVID19 for New Zealanders, so as to provide much needed mental
health support during this stressful time.
Buddy Banter with Sir John Kirwan will be held online on Wednesday August 26th at 7pm. During the one hour event Sir
John will be interviewed by broadcaster Roman Travers, a Big Buddy himself. Virtual attendance is by donation (from $20)
which will go towards raising funds for Big Buddy, tickets can be purchased at bigbuddy.org.nz/banter/
Proceeds from all ticket sales go towards Big Buddy.