Tremayne Bean had tragically lost his three older brothers and desperately wanted someone to 'do guy things with'.

Crispin Boney felt there were a lot of young men in Bermuda who could benefit from having role models in their lives.

Now Mr. Boney is Tremayne's Big Brother, helping the 13-year-old as much as he can as a volunteer with Big Brother Big Sister of Bermuda.

Today the Big Brother Big Sister of Bermuda (BBBS), is holding its annual Tag Day.

Representatives from the organisation will be standing outside of various businesses around the city and around the Island, accepting donations to help fund the non-profit organisation.

BBBS is an established charitable organisation committed to providing children, primarily from single parent homes, with positive and caring role models.

Through these professionally supported, one-on-one relationships, the children are able to build lasting relationships that enhance their emotional, social and recreational well-being.

Tremayne, who asked his mom if he could join the organisation, said he really enjoys spending time with his Big Brother, Mr. Boney.

The S1 student at Berkeley Institute said that he saw a commercial on television advertising BBBS and told his mother that he wanted to be a part of it. Tremayne had three brothers who have all passed away leaving him as an only child.

He said: "I wanted to have a Big Brother so that I would have someone to do guy things with. My oldest brother died 14 years ago in a motorcycle race event in the United States, and my other two brothers, who were twins, died at birth."

Mr. Boney, who works for the Department of Statistics, said that he was at an event where BBBS executive director, Esme Williams, was making an appeal for more adults to volunteer.

He said: "I felt that there are a lot of young men in Bermuda who need positive male role models and I thought I could help."

He called the office and started the process and in no time he was matched with Tremayne. "After the screening process and I was accepted, they showed me a list of available young people and I selected Tremayne.

"On the day I was to meet him, he came riding in the parking lot on his little scooter and I watched from the window and I knew right away that I made the right choice."

Mr. Boney said the two were given time alone to get acquainted and Tremayne was shy and didn't have much to say.

Tremayne said that he liked Mr. Boney when he met him and said that they have become very close over the two years that he has been his Big Brother. "We do a lot of fun things together like bowling, fishing and visiting nature reserves."

He attributes a great part of his positive outlook on life to the involvement he has in BBBS and his relationship he has with Mr. Boney.

"I feel very comfortable talking to him, and I like the fact that I can do things with Crispin that I can't do with my mother, like guy stuff." he said.

Mr. Boney said that initially the two of them spent a lot of time together but as Tremayne was so busy with his extra curricular activities such as sailing, golfing and bowling, their time together is less frequent.

"Because Tremayne is so busy, we usually spend time together about once or twice a month, whereas before it was once a week," he said.

He said that being a Big Brother does require time management, and a person must be willing to put in the time that the little brother or sister needs.

"You can set your own times but the minimum required time is about one hour per week."

Mr. Boney, who is a Grenadian national, said that a Big Brother does not replace the role of the parent, but works with the parents as additional support.

He said that the 'Bigs' of the organisation have to maintain a good relationship with the 'Little's' parents.

"I sat down with Tremayne's mother who outlined her objectives for Tremayne and my relationship. She said that she wanted him to focus on education, to be a respectable young man and for me to be someone he can communicate with," Mr. Boney said.

Mr. Boney encouraged other positive men to get involved in the organisation because there are many other young men looking for a Big Brother.

Currently, there are 202 children registered in the BBBS programme with 120 matched and 82 unmatched little brothers and sisters.

For more information on BBBS of Bermuda telephone 292 2802 or visit the website www.bbbs.bm