A love for people and community clearly flows through the DNA of Nanette Benington.
She has lived in Queenstown for 17 years and is the Wakatipu co-ordinator of the Family Works Big Buddy Programme.
Originally from Tapanui, in West Otago, she loves she has the power to make a tangible difference in a town with a growing population of children.
As she talks to the Otago Daily Times, it occurs to her a love for community is probably something passed down from her parents.
"When I think about it both my parents did volunteer in the community ... Dad was a farmer but he was always involved in school committees and the fire brigade."
Mrs Benington, a mother of two adult children, came to the role from a teaching background, a shift she describes as a "natural progression".
"I just enjoy meeting new people through it and learning about the community I'm living in."
The Big Buddy Programme has been going in the Wakatipu Basin since 2001 and has 26 adults paired with 26 children between the ages of 4 and 14.
Each week the older buddy is required to spend at least two hours with their child.
Activities don’t need to be costly and often involve bike riding, walking or baking.
Mrs Benington says children in the programme come from a variety of circumstances which puts them in need of more adult support.
"Reasons can be many and varied, from having a sole-parent family, to struggling with behaviour at school. Or they might have a sibling that’s high needs and they miss out a wee bit, that sort of thing."
With soaring rental prices, the Wakatipu Basin may be perceived as a relatively affluent area — in other words it could be easy for people to think the region is not in need of social services such as the Big Buddy Programme.
However Mrs Benington says the resort has the same human needs as anywhere else in the world.
"I think in any community you are going to have issues ... you are going to have your sole parents and people struggling with unemployment or mental health issues or alcohol. I'm not saying my families all have those but in any area you've got issues like that."
Not to mention the dramatic hit the region has taken from Covid-19.
"There’s going to be more need now in Queenstown with some people being out of work or on reduced hours and less work around the district, so that’s going to put pressure on families."
She says the programme looks for changes and improvements in social skills and behaviour — developments that are usually quite tangible.
‘‘Often we might just see kids enjoying having a ... role model that may not be in their lives."
For example, a boy came to the programme who was initially quite shy.
However, after time with his big buddy, a new confidence emerged.
"He’s been mountain biking with his big buddy. He now rings his friends and instigates bike rides himself."
For someone who is considering becoming a Big Buddy, the benefits are fairly straightforward.
"It’s fun, you can be a big kid again and you only need to give up two to three hours a week."
"A lot of my big buddies work but they manage to fit it into their week."
On top of her work with the Big Buddy Programme, Ms Benington is the also the trust chairwoman for the Happiness House, the Wakatipu Basin’s only community drop-in centre.
In the Covid-19 lockdown the centre received 822 messages, both from people needing assistance and those wanting to help.
"The manager Robyn Francis has done an amazing job during the Covid-19 crisis and has really adapted the Happiness House to the needs of the community ... she's shown a lot of initiative."
