Become a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters

Volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters is a fun and rewarding role. We are always on the look out for adults who are committed to being a positive role model for a child in Oxfordshire. If you are over 18, enjoy spending time with young people and can commit 4 hours a week, we'd love to hear from you – whatever your age or background.

Interested? Read on to find out about our application process.

What are the requirements and responsibilities of a Big Brother or Big Sister?

To mentor with BBBS you will need to provide the following information:

• An application form detailing your motivations to mentor and any relevant experience.

• All details required to process a DBS check

• Two personal references

To mentor with us, you should also:

• Be over 18 years old and based in, or near the Oxfordshire area

• Be interested in developing a positive friendship with a child

• Be trustworthy, energetic, mature, stable, reliable, accepting, patient, caring and respectful of others

• Be supportive and non-judgmental in your interactions with children

• Promote the welfare and safety of the child

• Act with integrity

• Be comfortable with the Big Brother Big Sister core values, policies and procedures

BBBS mentors will be expected to:

• Commit 2-3 outings a month, for at least one year. Outings will last approximately 4 hours.

• Ensure the safety and security of the child during the time you spend together

• Work effectively as part of the team supporting that child - including social workers, parents / guardians, teachers or other agencies.

• Keep BBBS informed of life changes that may impact the match

• Be consistent and dependable and maintain a steady, positive presence in the Little Sister's or Little Brother’s life

• Involve the child or youth in deciding how to spend time together

• Listen to and respect the thoughts and viewpoints of the child or young person, and focus on their strengths

• Have realistic expectations, and be prepared for any issues that may arise

• Use available resources, including the support and guidance of local Big Brothers Big Sisters coordinators

Is mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters right for me?

To help you make your decision about mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters, you can evaluate yourself against the following characteristics of successful mentors:

• I am over 18 years of age

• I enjoy spending time with children and youth

• I have the desire to build a friendship with a child

• I have time, and am willing to commit to meeting regularly with my Little Sister or Little Brother

• I am willing to commit for at least one year

• I am a responsible, trustworthy and stable individual

• I am caring and compassionate

• I can be energetic

• I am a good listener

• I respect the values and beliefs of others, even if they are very different from my own

• I am comfortable with the idea of communicating openly with the child's parent or guardian, social workers and the BBBS team

• I work well in a team

• I have strong interpersonal communication skills

• I have strong problem solving skills

• I am able to set realistic expectations and be prepared for unexpected changes

• I enjoy some or many of the activities that children enjoy

• I take my own safety and the safety of others seriously

• I am comfortable with assuming responsibility for the safety and security of the child during outings

Of course, most people will not answer 'yes' to all of these characteristics. But if you answered 'no' to many of them, it may be worth re-considering whether mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters is something that is for you.

You can get in touch with us if you have any questions, and we would be happy to discuss them further, and/or signpost you to more suitable volunteering opportunities with children and young people if this mentoring scheme is not quite right for you.

Big Brother Big Sisters FAQs

Safeguarding

You can see information about Oxford Hub’s safeguarding policy and process here.

What outings can we go on together?

Pairs do a huge range of different activities together. Popular outings include trips to the park, bowling, playing crazy golf, doing arts and crafts or going swimming. Lots of pairs find an activity that they really enjoy doing together and that they often go back to such as going swimming, doing some scrapbooking or going to the library.

How do we pay for things that we do together?

Pairs can expense up to £50 for activities each month. On top of this, you can also expense yours and the child’s travel to get around. This is done through Oxfordshire County Council’s expenses system.

Who refers the young people to the programme?

Children and young people are referred to the programme by schools or social workers. Big Brothers Big Sisters is an early intervention, preventative programme. We match children aged between 7-11 years old. We match children as early as possible, when a mentor can form a positive relationship, maximise their opportunities and make a real difference in their lives. 

Young people are only matched when they and their parent or carer are supportive of the programme.  

How does matching work?

After training, mentors complete a confirmation form which asks about any preferences you may have for matching. We take into account any interests or skills you have, age and gender. However, the main factor we look at is location. We want to match mentors with a child who lives relatively close to you, so that you can more easily fit it into your life and give the match the best chance of success. 

Pairs are constantly amazed by the success of the matching- we are always told by mentors that their match was meant to be! This really shows that two people can find some things in common and have fun together whatever their interests or backgrounds. 

When do the outings happen?

Pairs work out a routine that works for them. You will liaise directly with the parent/ carer of the child to arrange outings on an ongoing basis. Some mentors might choose to do the same day each week, for example Saturday morning. Others might have timetables that change too much to make that work so they might do different times each week e.g. after school on a Wednesday one week and Sunday afternoon the next. 

Pairs do weekly outings together. Sometimes they miss a week due to being away or poorly but the general pattern is weekly outings.

What about Covid?

Pairs are following current government guidelines on what they can and cannot do as well as having a discussion about what both the mentor and the family are comfortable with them doing. When they have not been able to meet in person, pairs have come up with all sorts of creative ways of keeping in contact over the phone, video calls and post!

Accessibility

Oxford Hub is committed to making our activities inclusive to all members. We will make reasonable adjustments to application processes, training sessions, volunteering projects and other activities, and we pay back volunteer expenses such as bus tickets. If you have particular accessibility needs, including special educational needs, you can let us know what adjustments we can make to support you on the application form. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.

How can I get in touch?

Have a question that hasn’t been answered here? Get in touch at [email protected]!