life-changing youth mentoring
“ Being mentored by Brothers in Arms has given [my two clients] more confidence, greater self-esteem , more enthusiasm to do things and ability to relate to people. “
Junior Tavai, HealthWEST Social Worker
contents who we are
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a growing need
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vision l mission l values
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primary goals
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our team
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funding sources
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client profile
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service overview
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research-based approach best practice principles how it works numbers and geography mentor recruitment and training innovation through collaboration monitoring and review case study
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excellent outcomes
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the help me wall
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endorsements l future vision
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BROTHERS IN ARMS harnesses the energy and goodwill of everyday New Zealanders, training them as mentors to bring hope and positive role modelling to troubled kids in their community. We believe quality relationships are essential for young people caught up in anti-social behaviour, offending or serious depression – kids in desperate need of “that someone” who believes in them. Through referrals by police, health and education social workers, we provide vulnerable kids intensive, one-on-one mentoring for one year, with proven results. Brothers in Arms (BIA) is a registered charitable trust, formed in 2006 by leading paediatrician Dr John Newman, scientist and businessman, Bill Grayson and national sports coach, Dave Robertson. Through collaboration with former school principal, Robin Cox, our unique, research-based programme was created and we have since matched over 130 at-risk young people with a trained, personal mentor. Our programme is in high demand throughout Auckland and we are commited to building our reputation as the region’s leading mentoring organisation; bringing life-changing relationships to the kids who need it most. We value your interest and invite you to journey with us.
who we are
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“ My Mentor has taught the importance of being yourself, to always stay true to yourself. He has also taught me the absolute importance of friendship! Thanks bro! “
Male, aged 14
As a society, we see the disturbing evidence of an unstable youth subculture: escalating violent crime, drug and alcohol abuse, a high rate of suicide, social dsyfunction, hostility and a concerning hopelessness. Too many in the younger generation are falling short of their potential, seriously compromising not only their future, but that of their children and community. Brothers in Arms receives approximately 300
organisation providing an intensive year-long
drugs and really unhappy and angry towards me and her father and school. After being mentored , she has completely changed into a beautifully awesome, motivated , strong , happy and secure young woman.
service in Auckland.
Mother of a 15 year old girl
capacity to meet only 20% of this demand due to limited numbers of suitable volunteers and funding constraints. We
are
currently
the
only
mentoring
meeting a growing need
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referrals a year from social workers, with a
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“She was experimenting with alcohol and
our vision To build and support cohesive communities through intentional, transforming relationships; operating as the most effective mentoring organisation in New Zealand.
mission Brothers in Arms exists to bring hope and lifechanging relationship to marginalised young people through quality, long term mentoring relationships.
values • belief in human potential • positivity, enthusiasm and hope • excellence in service provision • trust and humility • persuit of social justice, motivated by a shared Christian faith • empathy, tolerance and forgiveness • strength through collaboration • resilience and endurance
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our primary goals •
LIFE-CHANGE - To support long term positive life change in at risk children and young people through high quality mentoring relationship
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CONNECTION - To manage our organisation with great efficiency and effectiveness, building sustainable success
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INSPIRATION - To support and encourage marginalised young people to establish positive, healthy connections with their family and whanau, school, community, and peers, increasing a sense of belonging and value
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MENTOR DEVELOPMENT - To source, nurture and grow a dynamic volunteer base; inspiring and mobilizing ordinary New Zealanders to make a difference in the lives of young people who have experienced trauma or difficulty
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PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT - To help parents of children at risk to recognize the value of mentoring relationship and positively reinforce it
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ADVOCACY - To advocate for troubled young people and their mentors so their voices are heard
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COLLABORATION - To collaborate effectively with social workers, CYF, Police, and other agencies to identify young people at risk who require long term mentoring support
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HIGH PERFORMANCE - To manage our organisation with great efficiency and effectiveness, building sustainable success.
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our team BIA is governed by a Board of Trustees and employs three full time staff supported by a huge team of volunteers. Our team is actively involved in Youth Mentoring Trust NZ and has advised the Government on their Fresh Start Mentoring programme.
management Wade McMillan, General Manager / 021 2233 602 - Wade joined the BIA team in August 2010, with a passion to use his broad skill set to make a positive difference in NZ communities. He has an Honours degree in Engineering and previously worked for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare as a Process Development Engineer. Wade has been involved in volunteer youth leadership and sports coaching for many years, and prior to joining BIA, established a community mentoring network to support young adults through personal/professional development. Wade also contributes to the organisational structure and growth of Engineers Without Borders NZ – a charitable organisation focused on consultation and implementation of infrastructure projects in developing countries. Joseva Viqasi, Mentoring Manager - Joseva is a NZ-born Niuean/Fijian with a passion for youth development. He was formerly a Youth Arts Workshop Facilitator for the Auckland City Council and Youth Training Tutor for ATC Youth Transition and other community programmes. Joseva has a Certificate in Performing Arts (Te Waanaga O Aotearoa) and Certificate in Christian Ministry. He is currently completing a Bachelor of Architecture at University of Auckland. In 2008 he founded Hopetown, a creative arts collective aimed at community development in the South Pacific, and continues to use the arts and creative ventures to connect with youth and open them up to new experiences.
board of trustees Bill Grayson BSc, FNZIC - Bill is co-founder of Brothers in Arms and currently practises as a Consultant Chemist and Forensic Analyst. He was formerly the principal of W. Grayson and Associates Ltd, one of the largest private analytical laboratories in New Zealand; the inaugural President of the New Zealand Association of Consulting Laboratories; and also sat on the Laboratory Accreditation Management Committee of Telarc for 12 years. His skills are frequently sought throughout NZ to address regulatory matters, technical issues relating to intellectual property, litigation, and insurance claims including serving as an expert witness in High Court actions both civil and criminal. Bill holds a Bachelor of Science from Auckland University and is also a Trustee for The Village Charitable Trust. Brother in Arms operates out of Bill’s offices in Penrose, and he remains an active member of the day- to- day team.
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Dave Robertson (Executive Trustee) – Dave co-founded BIA with Bill Grayson and Dr John Newman in 2006. He served as General Manager until mid 2010 when he re-entered the competitive sporting world. In his younger days, Dave was the Youth World Windsurfing Champ and is now an Olympic Coach, leading the 2012 NZ Windsurfing Team. He is passionate about anything involving water and is often seen kitesurfing along Auckland’s eastern bays. He has a passion for supporting young people and youth development in NZ and is a continual help to the core team, offering invaluable advice from his experience as GM. He also remains heavily involved in mentor training and BIA promotion and vision. John Tuckey MBChB, FRACS – John is a respected Urological Surgeon working in private practice and at Auckland and Middlemore Hospitals. He has a passion for fishing and hotrods (in fact, anything with an engine) and is dedicated to the cause of youth development through Brothers in Arms, offering support and help whenever needed.
Doug Salthouse CA LTheol (Chair) – Doug spent 20 years in public practice as a Chartered Accountant, followed by 25 years as senior pastor of three vibrant Baptist churches. Now retired, Doug is active in the charitable sector, working to support Auckland’s most marginalised and vulnerable young people through mentoring.
Matt Williams – Matt is an award-winning Copywriter with Ogilvy New Zealand with a Bachelor of Communication Studies from AUT. Matt was a Board of Trustees Student Representative at Avondale College and Student Council Representative and has extensive experience in community youth leadership. Matt regularly helps with marketing and communications strategy for BIA. He is a keen fisherman, skier, swimmer, free diver and founder of NZ’s first freestyle ultimate frisbee team. He was also one of the first BIA mentors. We depend on the generous support of individuals, trusts and foundations to help us to meet our
advisor
annual budget of $250,000 (full budget details are available for reference). Because of the considerable
Dr John Newman – Dr Newman is Clinical Leader at the Centre for Youth Health, Kidz First, Counties Manukau District Health Board and contributor to the Youth Mentoring Network’s “Guide to Best Practice for Mentoring in NZ” (2009). Dr Newman helped to establish BIA and remains an valuable Advisor to the organisation.
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“ One girl* did nt seem to be responding at all. She was so tough and knocking the mentoring thing all the time. But six weeks into it she was moved from the North Shore to Onehunga. At the Family Group Conference she asked 'If I go can I still have my mentor? She is the only one I can trust' . “
Brenda, mentor (*not the girl pictured)
funding sources We depend on the generous support of individuals, trusts and foundations to help us to meet our our annual budget of $250,000 (full budget details are available for reference). Because of the considerable time contribution of our large volunteer base, we are able to operate very cost effectively and deliver our mentoring service at no charge to the young person or their whanau – ensuring cost is no barrier to accessing our service.
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client profile Young people qualify for our service if they have no current positive role modelling in their lives and meet one or more of the following criteria: 1) criminal offending; 2) disengaged from school; 3) dysfunctional family relations (e.g. removed from whanau due to abuse, neglect and/or trauma); 4) unstable mental or emotional health; 5) gang prospects/relations. We work with children/youths aged 5 to 19 years, with the majority in the volatile mid teens. 72% are male; 38% are Maori and 26% are Pacific Islanders. We work only with young people referred by professional agencies including CYF, residential homes (e.g. Dingwall Trust), community health agencies (e.g. Otara Health, Kidz First), NZ Police and Ministry of Education. Following our screening process, if we determine the young person is ready to respond positively to mentoring they are matched with a suitable mentor of the same gender, who lives in their local community. The young person commits to our programme voluntarily; we do not work with youth forced to undertake mentoring (e.g. court ordered). The child/youth is treated with respect and encouraged to participate in all areas of decision making regarding their mentoring relationship, outings and activities. To the child, BIA is very much in the background – their experience is all about the relationship.
The opportunity for mentoring exists only in a meaningful, trusting relationship between an individual [mentee] and an experienced advisor [mentor].
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service overview our research-based approach BIA’s research-based approach is rooted in four key characteristics identified by our cofounder Dr John Newman as critical for mentoring success: 1.
INTENSITY: one-on-one relationship
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REGULARITY: connecting at least half a day per week
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LONGEVITY: lasting at least one year
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CONNECTEDNESS: giving kids a sense of belonging within a family, sports club, church, etc.
we employ best practice principles •
STRENGTHS-BASED – we maximize the child’s and mentor’s strengths and build on the child’s capacity to resist risk factors and enhance the protective elements in their lives
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ACTIVELY SUPPORTIVE – we provide the best for our kids and consistently support our mentors
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VIGILANT – we investigate potential mentors thoroughly before recruiting, training and matching
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RESEARCH-BASED – we keep abreast of national and international youth and mentoring research
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CUTTING EDGE – we are members of the NZ Youth Mentoring Network Trust and follow best practice models (as defined by the Guide to Effective Practice in Youth Mentoring for New Zealand)
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how it works Our Mentors combine genuine care and positive life-changing experiences to challenge the young person’s view of life. Fun, safe, every-day activities are used to facilitate discussion around choices, consequences and personal issues, and to inspire the young person to consider and develop goals for their life. Mentors motivate the young person to become more involved in sporting, cultural, spiritual and educational activities with their family and community to positively move towards their goals. Mentoring partnerships are a one-year commitment with many voluntarily extending beyond this period.
numbers and geography We have delivered intensive, one-on-one mentoring to over 130 at risk children/youths throughout the Auckland region – Pukekohe to Albany – since 2006. We currently have 50 active mentoring partnerships and many more in the application and training process. With sufficient funding, we aim to double the number of partnerships in the coming year. Our programme has also been replicated in North Rodney, in collaboration with Springboard Community Works, reaching 30 additional children per year.
recruitment and training of mentors Quality mentors are the key to our success: we have a huge Auckland-wide network of volunteers, many of whom have overcome hardship in their own lives and now have the skills and training to make a powerful connection with kids at high risk. Currently, 81% of our mentors are under 30 years of age, of mixed ethnicity. MENTOR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 1.
Potential mentor becomes aware of Brothers in Arms, through word of mouth, website, or advertising and attends our Information Evening.
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Application form completed and person screened via interview, reference and police checks. If suitable, the person is recruited and commits for 12 mths.
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The person undergoes full training (9 hours over 3 sessions) and is matched with a suitable young person of the same gender, living in their neighbourhood.
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The mentor receives ongoing training, management and supervision
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The mentor attends regular fun BIA social events with the young person they are mentoring, in addition to weekly one-on-one activities.
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monitoring and review We consider child safety and wellbeing paramount and we are committed to providing a quality service that maximizes positive outcomes. With this in mind, we undertake internal evaluations with the mentor, the person and their whanau at six weeks, at milestones of three months, six months and one year. Mentors are also required to report to us on a monthly basis, and we conduct regular supervision and training sessions with them, throughout the year. In addition, we are currently working with Massey University’s research team to clinically evaluate our programme outcomes.
innovation through collaboration
“ My Mentor made
Female, 17
Over the past year, we have worked collaboratively with Auckland Womens Centre and Te Waipuna Puawai to create and deliver two pilot programmes: 1) “Young Parents Mentoring Programme” in Glen Innes – one-on-one mentoring for at-risk teenage parents with an older, trained mentor who
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a difference in my life..my schooling is just so wonderful now that Im so happy.
has positive parenting experience; and 2) a “Young Dads Group” – group mentoring for at-risk young fathers in Glen Innes and West Auckland (with this demographic we found a group environment more successful). The programmes have been closely monitored by Massey University’s research team (SHORE) and results will be available shortly. We are currently planning a collaborative project with Dingwall Trust in South Auckland, called Operation S.A.M. (South Auckland Mentoring) with a targeted creative campaign to raise awareness of need in the community and recruit local people of goodwill to train as mentors. This year, BIA has trained Springboard Community Works to implement our mentoring programme in the North Rodney region, with great success.To date, we have experienced excep
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Case study: James “James* was 13 years old when I began mentoring him. He was heavily involved in crime – aggravated robbery, you name it he did it. He lived in a residential home, with no personal support. A ticking time bomb. I mentored him for 12 months, taking him fishing, diving - sharing real adventures, talking about life. People couldn’t believe the change in him. He realized he had a chance at a decent future – a life with purpose. Three years on, he’s a trained volunteer lifeguard – out there every weekend – and working full time as an apprentice carpenter. He’s loving his life and making a positive contribution to his community instead of terrorizing it. I feel really proud of him.” Bill, mentor. *name changed to protect privacy
excellent outcomes To date, we have experienced exceptional outcomes, including:
for the child/youth •
decreased criminal activity
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increased completion of youth justice plans
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improved attitude and attendance in school/education
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improved pathways to stable employment
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connection with positive social environments
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improved, healthier relationships with peers, family/whanau, education providers and community groups
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trusting relationship formed with mentor, increasing trust of others
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improved sense of belonging and value
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their needs positively advocated for in the home/school/community
for the whanau/family •
awareness of the value of mentoring and other positive relationships
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improved communication with their child
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awareness of the need to reinforce healthy decisions and experiences
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support and encouragement in their parenting role
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referral to appropriate support services if needed
for the community •
a greater understanding of how everyday people can make a difference
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Auckland social workers, CYF, police, and other agencies provided with a long-term intensive mentoring service for high risk kids (we are the only organisation providing this)
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positive outcomes maximized through collaboration with other organisations, and our learnings from research and experience shared
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reduced crime and social dysfunction, creating safer, healthy communities
endorsements 15
“Brothers in Arms provide a very valuable service to us in Glen Innes. Without services like BIA...
“ The reason their mentors have such
positive attributes is because of the training , support and underpinning philosophy of Brothers in Arms. We are very grateful for the relationship we have with the service.. [BIA provide] such a needed service within our communities. “
Suzanne Stewart, Residential Care Manager, Dingwall Trust
the help me wall
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At BIA, we understand antisocial behaviour is often a cry for help. Most people don’t. So we brought this truth to light with the help of Ogilvy Advertising, and local graffiti artists, FDKNS, on 15 metres of wall outside the Avondale Racecourse, on Ash Street, Avondale. The wall received coverage in both local and national press.
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“Brothers in Arms provide a very valuable service to us in Glen Innes. Without services like BIA, some of our young people who fall through the cracks of services would not be supported. [We] regard Brothers in Arms as one of the most up and coming initiatives for youth in this area... always professional and dependable.” Alayna Matthews, Social Worker, Youth Development Programme, Glenn Innes Police. “Brothers in Arms has a strong reputation.. I have found them extremely professional to deal with.” Annette Culpan, Manager, Vodafone New Zealand Foundation 'I have been impressed that BIA sticks firmly to several validated principles of youth mentorship and positive youth development. As a Specialist Youth Health Physician, I have continued to refer young people to BIA and have been impressed with the results. BIA gets consistently good results.” Dr John Newman, Clinical Leader, Centre for Youth Health, Kidz First, Counties Manukau District Health Board (who also serves as Advisor to BIA) “There is a big need for mentors... Brothers in Arms thrives on placing the young person back into their family and community, with the community taking ownership of the youth. We have seen how young people have benefited from BIA’s programme [with] improved communication and understanding between the youth and their primary caregiver.” Agnes TeMoni-Morehu, Team Leader, Community Approach, Mt Roskill Police.
future vision Our vision is to build on our success, increasing our reach throughout Auckland and beyond. We aim to partner with and train active community groups, with the support of our programme, to bring a community response and life-changing relationships to marginalised kids - but we need help.
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We warmly welcome your support! EMAIL: info@brothersinarms.org.nz • WEB: brothersinarms.org.nz • POST: PO Box 112318, Penrose, Auckland • PHONE: 09 579 - 8165
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life-changing youth mentoring