‘A little bit of spare time and loads of love and fun’: reflections on mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters
For many of us, covid-19 restrictions aren’t something we associate with getting out and about or making new friends. But for Mathilde, who started mentoring with our Big Brothers Big Sisters programme in early 2021, that’s exactly what happened! In this blog, Mathilde reflects on her experience of building a friendship with her Little Sibling Will, and talks about the power of mentoring and one-to-one support in the life of a young person.
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Will and I met at the end of the third national lockdown. What we could do for our first outing was limited as cafes were closed and it was raining. Will told me it was his sister’s birthday the following week, so I proposed we craft a frame for her. So, we went to the crafting shop and did our frame in my car in the Costa Coffee car park.
I was told Will was a little bit worried about doing new things with me after a whole year staying at home. The ice was broken very quickly and every week that went by, Will became more and more talkative and engaged with all the activities we have done so far.
We have done a lot of outdoors and indoors activities such as deer spotting in the woods, fishing, taking my dog swimming, going to the museum and the cinema, and going to the animal wildlife park. Will has become a little chatterbox and I can see his confidence growing every time we meet.
Lately, Will attended a week at the summer camp. His mum did mention she was a little bit worried about him going away for a whole week, away from home. Only for Will to come back being the golden star of the week and letting us know he rode two horses! Mum was amazed as he never wanted to ride horses before. I used to have a horse and we regularly go and see horses.
I wanted to mention this as I believe it highlights the aim of the BBBS programme and the importance that a little bit of one-to-one time can bring to our little siblings. It is not only rewarding for me to see Will’s progress for myself, but also hearing that progress from parents and school is just amazing.
BBBS is so rewarding for both Bigs and the Little Siblings, and the support available from the start of the training, through the matching process and after each outing is amazing. I am very happy I joined with the programme and I highly recommend anyone who has a little bit of spare time and loads of love and fun to give to become part of the BBBS family.
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If you’ve been inspired by Mathilde and Will’s story, you can sign up to join the next cohort of Big Brothers and Big Sisters — or support our work to build a better Oxford!
