Darryl Parker is getting Rotorua's Big Brothers Big Sisters up and running. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
Darryl Parker is this week's Newsmaker. He is the co-ordinator of the newly-established Rotorua branch of Big Brothers Big Sisters, the largest mentoring programme in the world.
Tell us about yourself?
I was born and bred in Rotorua. However, when I was 24 years old I went to live in Spain
where I met my beautiful Canadian wife Lois and all my four amazing children were born there, Jordan, 22, Ruben, 19, Liana, 15, and Laura, 11. Ten years ago we came to set up home in Rotorua. We loved it there and we love it here!
What is you role at Rotorua's Big Brothers Big Sisters?
Although Big Brothers Big Sisters has been around internationally for more than 100 years and nationally for more than 15 it is a new service in Rotorua so I have been employed to establish and co-ordinate it here. There is a great group of people around me for support but I will be doing all the work around taking volunteers and children through to a match and then supporting the match for as long as it endures.
What do you love about your job?
Meeting amazing people and being involved in a new project that I believe provides an essential service to children and families in Rotorua.
What motivated you to get into the industry?
For the last several years I have been working in social work in Rotorua and long term mentoring of this type has been needed but not available. For the last two years I have been involved with a fabulous group of community volunteers working towards bringing it here - it has arrived!
