- 17 Sep, 2025
- 0 Comments
- 5 Mins Read
How YOU CAN SIT WITH ME and Ray White are supporting students [kids]
Every child deserves to feel safe, connected, and cared for as they make their way to and from school. But the reality is that some young people face moments of fear or uncertainty in their daily routines — whether it’s getting lost, being followed, feeling unsafe, or simply needing to contact a parent or carer.
This is where the Safe Space initiative, a new partnership between YOU CAN SIT WITH ME and Ray White, steps in. Together, they are creating trusted places in communities across Australia, ensuring children know there’s somewhere nearby they can turn to for help, reassurance, and a voice that listens.
About YOU CAN SIT WITH ME
YOU CAN SIT WITH ME is a not-for-profit movement built on a simple but powerful message: inclusion, kindness, and support are for everyone. What began as a grassroots campaign to encourage children to look out for one another in the schoolyard has grown into a broader initiative promoting respect, belonging, and mental wellbeing across schools and communities.
Wearing a yellow wristband or badge with “YOU CAN SIT WITH ME” signals to others that the person is open, welcoming, and ready to offer support. These visible symbols have become a powerful reminder that no child should feel left out or isolated.
The Safe Space program is an exciting next step, extending the philosophy beyond the school gates and into the wider community.
The role of Ray White
Ray White, one of Australia’s most recognisable real estate groups, has partnered with YOU CAN SIT WITH ME to pilot the Safe Space program. Their offices are already highly visible and located in the heart of many suburbs, making them the perfect places to serve as trusted community anchors.
When a participating Ray White office displays the Safe Space sticker in its window, it signals to students that staff are ready to step in with kindness and practical help. This might include:
Allowing a child to make a phone call to a parent or carer
Offering a seat in a safe environment until a trusted adult arrives
Listening with empathy if a student feels bullied, scared, or threatened
Providing directions if a young person is lost or uncertain where to go
The promise is simple but meaningful: if you see the sticker, you’ll find support inside.
Why “Safe Spaces” matter
Children learn best, thrive socially, and develop resilience when they know they are protected and cared for — not just at school or home, but everywhere in their community.
Unfortunately, situations can arise that leave children vulnerable. They might:
Miss their usual bus or walk a different way home
Feel nervous walking alone
Experience bullying that extends beyond the school grounds
Get separated from friends or siblings on the way home
In those moments, even a small gesture of safety and reassurance can make an enormous difference. The Safe Space program acknowledges that responsibility for children’s wellbeing is a shared one — involving schools, families, and the wider community.
By turning everyday places, like real estate offices, into accessible safe havens, this initiative builds a stronger safety net for young people.
A community-wide approach
One of the strengths of this program is collaboration. YOU CAN SIT WITH ME brings a mission centred on empathy, inclusion, and child wellbeing. Ray White contributes a trusted national network with offices embedded in local communities. Together, they are showing how businesses and not-for-profits can partner in innovative ways to protect and empower children.
Over time, the vision is for children to recognise the Safe Space sticker instantly — much like they might recognise a crossing guard or first aid sign. The presence of these symbols across local suburbs builds confidence for students and peace of mind for parents and carers.
Furthermore, the initiative opens opportunities for training and awareness-building within local business networks. Staff who participate are not expected to act as counsellors or professionals, but simply as caring community members who can respond with kindness, keep a child safe, and connect them to their trusted adult.
Stories of impact
Consider a child walking home who notices someone following them and feels frightened. Spotting the Safe Space sticker, they step into a Ray White office and ask for help. A staff member listens, calls their parent, and stays with them until they feel secure.
Or imagine a young teen who misses their bus and doesn’t know the way home. Instead of feeling stranded and anxious, they can walk into their local office displaying the sticker, use the phone, and wait for a carer to collect them.
While these are simple actions, they can shape a child’s entire experience of safety, independence, and wellbeing. They also reinforce the message that communities look after their young people.
Future looks bright with Ray White
The pilot stage of the Safe Space initiative is just the beginning. As more Ray White offices participate, and as awareness grows among schools, families, and children, the program has the potential to become a nationwide network of trusted places.
YOU CAN SIT WITH ME hopes this partnership inspires other businesses and organisations to consider how they too can contribute to creating safer, kinder communities. Small changes — a visible sticker, a welcoming smile, a willingness to help — collectively build a culture where no child feels alone in a moment of need.
How you can help
Parents, teachers, and community members can play a role by:
Talking to their children about what the Safe Space sticker means
Encouraging students to seek help if they feel unsafe while travelling
Sharing the initiative with local community groups and schools
Supporting YOU CAN SIT WITH ME through donations, advocacy, or volunteering
Children deserve the freedom to walk, travel, and play in their communities with the assurance that help is never far away. The Safe Space initiative, created by YOU CAN SIT WITH ME and Ray White, sends a clear message: you are not alone, and your community is here for you.
Through compassion, partnership, and action, this program reminds us that safety is everyone’s responsibility — and that even the smallest gesture of kindness can make a life-changing difference for a child.
https://raywhiteuppernorthshore.com.au/safe-spaces-you-can-sit-with-me
YOU CAN SIT WITH ME is an inclusive, evidence-based, peer-led program reducing school refusal, social isolation, bullying, exclusion and non inclusive behaviour.
YOU CAN SIT WITH ME provides free programs for schools, sporting clubs and community groups.
Please consider supporting education for children across Australia. Your generous, fully tax deductible donation can help make a real difference in many young lives. Thank you for your kindness.