Spotlight on…Surbiton Sitters!

So this week brought me the pleasure of meeting Stacey Richard, founder of local (lifesaving) business Surbiton Sitters and her rather beautiful daughter Maxine. It’s lovely to meet local mums in business so I thought I would take a few minutes out to find out more about her and her company Surbiton Sitters who provide ‘dependable short term childcare for your little ones in Surbiton, the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and across South West London’

 

 

Stacey set up Surbiton Sitters after years of helping family and friends to support and look after their little ones to which she confesses was mostly spent just “having fun with the children!” When her daughter Maxine was born she said it “changed everything” Stacey wanted to stay at home with her and she often found herself called upon to help look after friends little ones in need of flexible care.

“the business just started out with me helping one friend and then another friend and then a friend of a friend and then a friend told another friend and so the business grew”

 

 

 

Stacey works around the clock, 365 days a year so she can be there as emergency support to a family that may need her services. ” I worked on Christmas eve, when a little baby was born and I stayed at the family home looking after the couple’s other children” This pregnancy service can be an absolute lifesaver to those whose families live far away or who may not have any friends that are able to step in at any moment. Whether it’s for a few hours or for a few days Stacey aims to help support families by providing flexible childcare. It may be as simple as a few hours crossover between catching that last train home from work, or a last minute appointment that can’t be rescheduled.

Maxine had lots of fun in the studio, hopping around with her bunny and popping bubbles. It was lovely to watch Stacey with her as you can see how much passion and energy is put into play. When I asked Stacey to tell me what kinds of activities she does with the children in her care she told me enthusiastically:

‘I love arts and crafts, finger painting, sticking and gluing buttons and beads, going outside to the park, to swimming classes and dance classes, feeding the ducks and just to play…that’s the main part of my job to play!”

Stacey currently covers most of our local area including Surbiton, Kingston, Berrylands, Long Ditton, Thames Ditton, Claygate and Esher and many more as well as further into South West London.  Such is the success and demand for her help she now has 10 other mummies working with her including previous “childminders, nannies and nursery staff” who are all working around their own family lives to provide support for other mums and families in need. Stacey is CRB checked, First Aid trained and fully insured and she tells us she has a “huge collection of travel cots and car seats too!”

“Theres nothing fancy or formal, i’m just a mum helping other mums”

If you’d like to find out more about Surbiton Sitters please take a look at Stacey’s website: http://www.surbiton-sitters.co.uk/home

Cate xxx