You Can Sit With Me

As they say, it takes a village to raise a child. So, when our team at Ray White The Woollahra Group had the opportunity to contribute to something far, far bigger than ourselves, we absolutely jumped at the chance. Every parent hopes that when their child is lost, alone, or in need of help, whoever they encounter will act with kindness, curiosity, and respect—just as you would hope them to act

Therefore, it is with great pleasure that our team announces our partnership with Sophie Sparks, the founder of the “You Can Sit With Me” program, to pilot this new workplace initiative. Following our trial, this initiative will be rolled out across the entire Ray White network.

From Monday, May 20th, our two offices; Ray White Elizabeth Bay and Ray White Woollahra, will serve as safe houses for local children during business hours.

The sticker signifies to our local communities, school children, parents, and the schools themselves (including Woollahra Public, Plunkett Street, and Glenmore Road) that our Ray White offices will serve as a safe place for school children to come if they are in need.

Whether a child has gotten lost on their way home, got off the bus or train at the wrong station, has a phone with no battery, or simply feels unsafe and can’t contact their parents or carers, our reception team (comprised of a part-time yoga teacher, florist, and ex-McKinsey consultant) is well-equipped and prepared to welcome any child who sees the sticker and identifies our office as a safe space to seek help, feel settled, and contact their appropriate carer or guardian. Over the coming weeks, our team will share our learnings and insights with Sophie so that this program can be adopted, learned from, and then rolled out nationally across the Ray White network.

While we live, work, and play within the fast-paced inner-city lifestyle of the eastern suburbs of Sydney, and at times it can feel like old-fashioned community values are something of the past, we hope, much like the yellow safety houses I recall from my childhood stuck to neighbourhood letterboxes, that we can support in reigniting a sense of community. Local businesses and people as a connected place are very much still alive and well. As a working mother of a 6-year-old, this initiative is perhaps a way that my team and I at Ray White The Woollahra Group can pay it forward.

If you have school-aged children in your home and you live nearby either our Elizabeth Bay | Potts Point or our Paddington | Woollahra office, please let your children know not only where we are, but also the sticker to look for, and that if they do get lost, stuck, or feel unsafe on their way to or from school, our team is available to help.

To find out more about the “You Can Sit With Me” program in 900 schools across Australia.