Airport volunteers help create a welcoming home for women and children at Bayside Women’s Shelter

When Bayside Women's Shelter needed help preparing a second shelter for local women and children, Sydney Airport volunteers jumped at the chance to contribute.

Our teams are used to tackling big jobs under pressure.

With around 120,000 passengers travelling through the airport every day, major upgrades and projects underway across the precinct and hundreds of businesses operating on site, people regularly come together to solve problems and get things done.

So, when Bayside Women's Shelter called saying they needed a group of volunteers to help prepare a new property in just a few days, the response was simple: count us in.

Team members from across the airport’s Project and Development, Environment, Retail, Commercial and Community Investment teams helped assemble furniture including bunk beds, tables, cupboards and storage units, transforming empty rooms into welcoming spaces for women and children seeking safety and support.

While building beds, assembling flat-pack furniture and preparing rooms, the team learned more about the vital support Bayside Women's Shelter provides to local women and families.

Hearing firsthand from shelter staff about the impact of their work gave volunteers a deeper understanding of the difference a safe, welcoming and homely environment can make for women and children beginning a new chapter in their lives.

Bayside Women’s Shelter General Manager Sallianne Faulkner said:

“Our new shelter will provide further safe beds for families who are in need. We are so grateful to the SYD Airport team of special humans who assisted our set up making beds, building flat pack furniture and creating beautiful spaces for those in need.”

The SYD team also arrived with a new addition to the shelter, a children’s playhouse, which they assembled in the backyard to give children a dedicated place to play, imagine and simply be kids.

Ongoing support for Bayside Women’s Shelter

While the furniture build was a hands-on way to help, it is just one part of Sydney Airport's longstanding partnership with Bayside Women's Shelter.

Each year, airport staff support the shelter through a workplace donation drive during Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, collecting essential items including food, hygiene products, baby goods, school supplies and grocery vouchers. The donations help provide practical support, comfort and dignity to women and children rebuilding their lives.

The most recent collection also included backpacks, suitcases and other everyday essentials to help families establish themselves in safe accommodation.

Jacaranda Women's Hub

Sydney Airport has also partnered with Bayside Women's Shelter to support the Jacaranda Women's Hub in Pagewood, a welcoming community space for local women. The hub provides opportunities for connection, learning and support through community programs and access to services including counselling, legal, financial and housing assistance.

Supported by funds from the airport, the hub has now been operating for more than a year and has become a place where women can build confidence, develop new skills and strengthen their community connections.

Read more: Jacaranda Women's Hub celebrates its first birthday