Over 5 years of Big Brothers Big Sisters!
For over 5 years, volunteer mentors (Big Siblings) and children (Little Siblings) have been meeting up across Oxfordshire to do fun outings together.
Since Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) launched at Oxford Hub and Oxfordshire County Council in Summer 2017, we have been matching and supporting pairs of mentors and young people to meet together- providing an additional positive role model for young people across Oxfordshire, and supporting them through new opportunities.
At the end of our 5th year, we’ve taken the chance to reflect on everything which has happened in this time.
We invite you to read our 5 year report, which highlights the great things we’ve been up to throughout this period, and looks forward towards what is to come!
We have supported 86 young people across Oxfordshire, for at least 1 year. Volunteers initially commit to 12 months of outings with their Little Siblings, but we encourage and support pairs to continue meeting up long after their first year. Some pairs are still going strong after more than 5 years, and if you add all of the matches together, it comes to a total of 199 years!
The outing activities are based on the interests of the Little and Big Sibling- meaning that within these pairings so many different outings have taken place. The selection of various activities includes: origami, bowling, dog walks, board games, homework help, science fairs, village fetes, treasure hunts, playing football, and so much more!
Celebration Evening!
Big Brothers Big Sisters is only possible with the incredible involvement of all the volunteer Big Siblings, and the enthusiasm of the Little Siblings and their families. We took this opportunity to host a celebration event with all of those involved in the programme — celebrating all of the pairs, all the effort which the Big Siblings put into being excellent role models for their Little Siblings, and all that they have achieved in their matches.
We had special mentions for some of our pairs, based on different aspects of their match and our Oxford Hub values. All the matches look different; this is one reason for the success of the programme, as each of the young people has the agency to shape what they get up to with their Big Sibling.
We celebrated these differences through awards based on our Oxford Hub values:
Social — celebrating the pairs who will often get involved in community events and activities, and those who will lead the way in going on group outings with other pairs
Long-term — celebrating matches which have been ongoing for over 5 years, those who have completed over 100 outings, and those who continue to stay in contact despite no longer living geographically close
Motivational — celebrating pairs who have motivated each other, particularly in instances where the Big Sibling has supported the Little Sibling to believe in themselves, and been an ongoing positive support for their Little Sibling
Bold — Celebrating those matches who have gone outside of their comfort zone in the outings they have done, trying lots of new activities and visiting new places together
Ambitious — celebrating Big Siblings who have gone above and beyond the initial expectations of the BBBS programme, being matched with more than one Little Sibling and playing a large role in the family
Each of the pairs has their own unique preference for outings, each has its challenges, each Big Sibling has been an incredible support to their Little Sibling, and each Little Sibling is so much fun to have involved in the programme.
Whilst every match is slightly different, it is always a pleasure to have so many pairs in one place and celebrate together. We really appreciate all the Big Sibling volunteers for all they do, and look forward to the years to come!
“How can I get involved?”
There are so many different ways to get involved in the programme —
And if you would like to hear more about the potential opportunities and other ways to get involved, please contact Ella on: bigbrothersbigsisters@oxfordhub.org and we can discuss this more!
