Buddy Day returns to Tauranga this November, and organisers say the event has grown, with five North Island locations now taking part.

The community engagement event, which begins on November 13, is now in its fourth year, after being was established in Hamilton by national child advocacy agency Child Matters.

Buddy Day will return to Tauranga on November 13. Photo: Supplied.

The aim is to start conversations and drive change around the role adults play in the lives of children, from preventing child abuse to providing great environments for children to flourish.

Auckland, Tauranga and Wellington joined Buddy Day in 2012.

This year sees a new location opening up in the Central Plateau, with the local iwi of the area, Ngāti Rangi hosting Buddy Day in Ohākune, Raetihi and Waiouru this year.

Ngati Rangi chief executive Andy Gowland-Douglas was quick to sign Ngati Rangi Trust up to locally host the event, with the community of around 2750 invited to take part.

'As iwi, we are kaitiaki of our region, which means we have the responsibility of not only looking after our environment but all whānau who live here as well,” she says.

'In collaboration with the community, Ngati Rangi has developed and leads the implementation of the Ruapehu Whsnau Transformation Plan. One core aspect of this is wellbeing, and caring for children/tamariki obviously plays a key part.

'The plan is about the wider region taking ownership of issues and coming up with our own solutions. Buddy Day is also about communities taking ownership of this important issue to help tamariki, so it's a great fit.”

The event involves 1800 adults in the five locations adopting life-size cardboard ‘Buddies' and taking them into communities and workplaces.

Through the carers, the Buddies will ask people all day: 'What one thing will you do better for kids in your field of view - today, this week or this year?”

Prior to the day, Buddies are created by school children, where they are dressed, decorated, and given a name and a story.

Participation in Buddy Day is free. Adults can register as Buddy ‘Carers' and schools can register as Buddy ‘Creators' at: www.buddyday.org.nz