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Otago Daily Times

Buddying-up programme well supported

From left, Little Buddy Oscar Cunningham, 9, and his Big Buddy Luke Houghton, and Little Buddy Lachlan Fisher, 11, and Big Buddy Josh Hennessy enjoying the flicks at Silky Otter last weekend. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Little and big buddies have been buddying-up in Queenstown for 24 years. Aimed at providing friendship and fun for children aged 4 to 12who need more adult support, the Whakatipu Buddy Programme currently has 15 Big Buddies matched with 15 Little Buddies. They do weekly one-on-one activities like walking the dog, swimming, biking and baking, and there's a group outing three or four times a year — last Sunday, 10 Big and Little Buddies attended a screening of SMURFS at the Silky Otter cinema complex. "We get a lot of support from the community, and thank Silky Otter for this wonderful opportunity," longtime programme coordinator Nanette Benington says. She adds Little Buddies can be referred by parents, schools or social agencies like Central Lakes Family Services. The average match length is two years, though "quite a few pairs still meet up outside the programme as friends once their official match has ended", Benington says. "We get wonderful feedback atreviews that children have improved social skills, better behaviour, increased confidence and have developed wonderful new interests. "One mother recently stated, 'the buddy programme changed my life, it has become one of the biggest supports I have had for my children as a sole parent'." Meanwhile, the next Big Buddies training programme is in October.