My Big Buddy
London’s Original Male Nanny Agency
Want to be a Buddy?
- Will this work around my life and where I live? See how the fit & flexibility would work for you.
- What would i be doing? See what kind of tasks each job would require.
- What does it pay and how/when am I paid? See how the rates and jobs would work with your lifestyle.
- What do I need and how fast can I begin? See our requirements and how to start.
Become a Buddy (or a Male Nanny / Manny) in London
Do you love working with children and want flexible, rewarding work that fits around your main commitments? My Big Buddy is London’s original male nanny (“manny”) agency. We match brilliant men with families who want positive male role models for their children — from after-school help and evening babysitting to school holiday cover and longer-term nanny roles.
Whether you’re an actor, student, teaching assistant, sports coach, musician, graduate, or already a male babysitter/manny, we’d love to hear from you.
Why become a Buddy with the My Big Buddy agency?
- Flexible, part-time work in London — choose shifts that fit around rehearsals, lectures, placements, or other jobs.
- Do work that matters — mentor, motivate and bring energy to children through sport, creativity, music, and play.
- Great families — we carefully vet clients and make thoughtful matches so you can build consistent, enjoyable work.
- Competitive pay & quick setup — once cleared, you can start taking bookings fast.
- Supportive team — we’re here with guidance, safeguarding support, and placement advice.
Who we’re looking for
We welcome young men in or around London with paid or unpaid experience working with children, including:
- Actors, drama school students, and musicians
- University students and postgrads
- Teaching assistants and classroom support staff
- Sports coaches, camp leaders, youth group or church/club volunteers
- Music school / theatre school assistants
- Those with SEN/SEND experience (e.g., ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, SEMH) — highly valued
- Former or current male nannies / mannies / male babysitters
- Anyone who’s coached junior teams or helped run children’s activities
If you’re enthusiastic, reliable, active, and naturally great with kids — you’ll fit right in.
The work (what a Buddy actually does)
- After-school pick-ups, homework help and tutoring basics
- Organising engaging play: football in the park, tennis, cycling, board games, Lego, arts & crafts, music practice
- Planning screen-free fun and age-appropriate activities
- Simple meal prep, light tidying related to the children
- Evening babysitting, weekend cover, school holiday support
- Supporting routines for children with additional needs (with guidance from parents/carers)
- Provide meaningful interactions with children – our families often have a goal of building their child’s resilience, showing them a life beyond screens, supporting school refusers, encouraging outdoor activities, aiming high, life beyond school – all kinds of goals to support a child in having a happy and meaningful childhood.
Roles available
- After-school Buddy (male nanny / manny) — 3–5 afternoons per week
- Evening & weekend male babysitting — ad-hoc or regular
- Holiday cover & temp placements — flexible blocks of work
- SEN-aware Buddy roles — experience welcomed and matched carefully
Essentials we need from you
- Genuine experience with children (paid or unpaid)
- Two recent, checkable references
- Right to work in the UK
- Enhanced DBS (or willingness to obtain — we can advise)
- Strong punctuality, communication and professionalism
- A proactive, active, positive approach with children and parents
Nice to have: First Aid certificate, UK driving licence (not essential), coaching badges, safeguarding training, musical or sports skills, tutoring ability.
Interested in learning more?
Frequently Asked Questions
Please feel free to contact us directly with any questions, but here below are the most common questions we get asked initially.
Is there a demand for male childcarers?
100%! We have many clients who want a young guy to to any of the tasks mentioned above with their children. Some families have a busy dad and they think their children would benefit from a male dynamic from time to time, others may be single parents who know that time with a male role model is what their children need. Others just know that having someone with confidence and lots of energy is just a bonus and would suit their child better than a nanny.
Would i be employed or self employed?
Buddies are always self employed. You are responsible for being registered with HMRC if you are not already, which is an easy process to do and paying your own tax and NI.
Do I need formal childcare qualifications?
No. We focus on real, demonstrable experience with children, paid or unpaid. Coaching, youth work, teaching assistant roles, camp leadership, or regular babysitting all count. Qualifications and First Aid are a plus.
What is the pay like? And how often would i get paid?
The pay is a great rate which vary by family but with guidance from the agency. The average, depending on skills and experience would range from £17-£25+ per hour, with more for specific specialist skillsets. The great thing about Buddy work is that for one off bookings you are paid the same day and for ongoing work buddies are usually paid weekly.
What is the difference between a Buddy and a Manny?
Buddies are part time roles and you can work alongside any other work/study/life. Buddies are always self employed. The Buddy roles are either short term jobs like a day or a week to help a family in school holidays or without other childcare for a period of time, or a fixed period role like 6 weeks in the summer OR they are ongoing roles with a family, like 3 afternoons a week, every Saturday afternoon etc. that you do for as long as you are able to and the family would like you for. Please see here for a longer explanation of the difference. Mannies are employed by the family they work for. Roles are normally 30+ hours a week and the family will arrange a contract and pay slips etc. Mannies are usually paid monthly. Families will either employ you directly or utilise a payroll firm to assist them.
Do i have to work all the time when i sign up with your agency?
No! Absolutely not! We have lots of buddies on our books who use us for ongoing work all the time, but also lots who work for a period of time, then stop for a bit, then start up again, either with the same family or a different one. You don’t have to be working at all to still be on our books. Once you are registered with us and all our checks are done, feel free to just pop back to us when you are looking for work again. We can then update anything if needed and try and get you working again. We have families who need consistent ongoing childcare, others are happy to have sporadic bookings with a buddy, or happy to flex and have a different buddy for a period of time and then either have you back again or you can join another family.
My Big Buddy, London’s original male nanny agency, was founded in 2006 with the belief that some children thrive under the guidance of a “Buddy”—a confident, caring, and engaging male caregiver. While female nannies have long been the norm, families are increasingly drawn to the fresh dynamic that Buddies and Mannies and bring.
My Big Buddy is now one of London’s most in-demand childcare agencies. As an agency we continue to grow. Our staff have backgrounds in business, operations, teaching, childcare, education, HR and family support – they are committed to delivering exceptional service while nurturing a strong, trusted network of families and caregivers.
Families across the city and beyond are choosing the unique benefits of having a positive, energetic male role model in their children’s lives. Buddies often form strong mentorship bonds, provide structure through active play, and offer a balanced, hands-on approach to care—particularly impactful for children who benefit from male influence in their everyday lives.