A mentoring charity assisting young people in need has showcased a mural signifying “togetherness” as it commemorates its 47th year of service to the island.

Patrina O’Connor-Paynter, the managing director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bermuda, said the unveiling of the mural at its Queen Street office in Hamilton also marked it winning of a 2025 Best of Bermuda Award for best charity and best community service organisation.

Ms O’Connor-Paynter said: “Serving the youth of Bermuda is our passion and we wanted to do something that signifies that.”

She said she, along with her colleagues and the children they assist, decided their office offered enough space for the mural crafted by artist Carlos Santana.

She said the mural was designed with the theme “community and unity” in mind.

She added: “The time we are in right now, I think this project resonates even more than ever.

“It’s not just about Big Brothers Big Sisters, it’s not just about any individual organisation, it's about all of us.

“All of us can make an impact — if we join forces together, we become stronger.”

Ms O’Connor-Paynter added: “I know people always use the term ‘united we stand, divided we fall’, but it is so true.

“If we all unite together, just like how we are doing today, we can make a difference in Bermuda.”

She told The Royal Gazette that the organisation carried out its mandate with children’s best interests at heart.

She added: “We look at different ways that we can actually help young people and if we see a young person who is interested in something specific, we try to get them involved in that area of interest.

“Yes, there are things that are happening on the island right now. But now more than ever, it is important for us as a community to come together. It takes all of us to make a difference.”

Mr Santana said he had been delighted to contribute.

He said: “It is not always about making money. Yes, we have all got to make a living, but we’re all here to help one another.

“I’m all about collaborations, and this project was all about coming together. This is the actual name of the mural because we are here to help one another.”

He said it took him three days to complete it, but the bulk of the work was done on Sunday, when he started. “I’m really happy to do this,” he added.

To conceptualise the artwork, Mr Santana considered several ideas around bringing young people together.

“I think we all give a fist or a bump when we greet each other, and so that’s what it depicts,” he said.

“This is very important because I feel like everybody needs somebody to look up to or a role model, to get more togetherness within the community.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters, which was launched in 1978, provides mentoring relationships to young people in need.

The charity has worked to make a positive impact on young people’s lives by matching children, primarily from single-parent homes, with adult volunteers.

The children as well as the volunteers hail from all walks of life, representing the diversity of Bermuda.