Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Children matter says Buddy Day

Hamilton News
15 Nov, 2012 05:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Room 19 at Knighton Normal School wants adults to know "every child matters".

That's the message the pupils want to send today, Buddy Day - an annual child protection community awareness campaign.

Buddy Day has two components. The lead-up to today began two weeks ago as schools and childcare centres around the Waikato took possession of 335 life-size cutouts of cardboard children. Adult Buddy carers take their buddies everywhere they go to generate conversations about child abuse at their workplaces, with their friends and with people they meet on the street.

Tracey Roose's class of 5-year-olds has spent two weeks naming, painting, dressing, and giving personalities to the buddies. One little girl sits down next to her buddy and talks to it as she does a puzzle, another pats her buddy on the shoulder and straightens its hair.

"The children want the community to know that every child matters," said Tracey. "One child said to me this morning that people 'need to know that children deserve respect'. That's pretty profound for a 5-year-old."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Buddy Day was developed by Child Matters last year. Child Matters CEO Anthea Simcock said research shows most New Zealanders think child abuse is a big problem in New Zealand. However, she said many people still think it is "someone else's problem."

"Raising awareness is very important. That's what Buddy Day is all about."

Buddy Day manager Janine Evans said Child Matters had received an overwhelming response from schools and childcare centres to be involved in decorating Buddies for Buddy Day. She said registrations for adult "carers" had come in thick and fast, and there had been interest from people throughout New Zealand wondering how they could get involved. The addition of Buddy Day Supporters' Packs, which can be ordered online this year, is the first step toward creating the national event.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Man high on mushrooms crashes car into garage, with a preschooler on his lap

Waikato Herald

'A newfound faith': Rapist says the Lord will help him as he’s sent to jail

Sport

Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Man high on mushrooms crashes car into garage, with a preschooler on his lap
Waikato Herald

Man high on mushrooms crashes car into garage, with a preschooler on his lap

The garage collapsed on top of Freeman Ruhe's vehicle but the pair escaped injury.

14 Jul 08:00 AM
'A newfound faith': Rapist says the Lord will help him as he’s sent to jail
Waikato Herald

'A newfound faith': Rapist says the Lord will help him as he’s sent to jail

14 Jul 07:00 AM
Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes
Sport

Netball: Magic narrowly lose to Pulse after scores still tied in final minutes

14 Jul 04:28 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP