Big Sister Program

There are Big Sister programs operated by Triess in the US and by the Beaumont Society in the UK. The Seahorse Society in Australia has looked at these and taken ideas and created a Big Sister program to suit the population of Australian TV's, which is smaller and more widely distributed.

The program is in two parts; a pre-membership and post-membership program.

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Part 1 Pre-Membership

The purpose of the pre-membership component is to assist potential members. This is done through an informal meeting between a prospective member and their regional Big Sister. This meeting is to explain on a person to person basis what the club does and to answer any queries so that the applicant can continue to pursue their initial interest and join the club. This is an important stage in membership as many prospective members contact the club or download the membership form but never go on to join. Often many years later they return to the society as an option. The pre-membership program is to help potential members overcome their fears by being able to meet and talk with a sympathetic soul.

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Part 2 Post-Membership

Once new members have made the first contact, we want them to know that the support doesn't end there. The Big Sisters are there to help them get to their first meeting, make friends, participate and feel part of the community. We can all remember the fear we had before attending our first meeting. Would we be laughed at or ignored ? The role of a big sister would be to hold their hand and help them overcome their initial fears.

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Big Sisters

The most important ingredients in the Big Sister program are the Big Sisters themselves. Ideally, a Big Sister should be a well adjusted Seahorse member who has the time and patience to help. Are you that person? Most Big Sisters will work within their areas, however, we would also like one or two Big Sisters who have the ability to travel within NSW.

To volunteer to be part of the program, contact either Amanda or Desley at a meeting. We would like to stress the importance of confidentiality and to not put yourself or the prospective member in an unsafe situation.

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Current Big Sisters:

Central Coast	Desley and Julia
North of the Harbour	Amanda and Rosemary
South of the Harbour	Currently vacant
West/Hills District	Karen
South West	Rhonda
Penrith/Blue Mountains	Judy
South Coast	Cybil and Kenna
Northern Beaches	Colleen
Newcastle/Hunter	Christine
Other Areas	Susan

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Related Pages

Joining Seahorse
Outreach Program
Partners' Page