Construction Anglia hosted just under 100 guests at West Suffolk College’s (WSC) prestigious Edmunds Restaurant to celebrate the pivotal role of women in construction.
Organised by Clare Friel, Managing Director of Marketing Agency Friel and industry news outlet Construction Anglia, the event aimed to inspire students by providing them with visible role models, while creating an inclusive Women in Construction community in the East of England.
Guest speaker Siu Mun Li, Director of the Temporary Works Forum and CITB’s Most Influential Woman in Construction 2023, hosted an insightful panel discussion with industry professionals that included Fran Dinsdale (DPL Group), Richmal Hardinge (Castons Artelia Group), Averil Young (WSC), Natalie Clifton (MACE / Sizewell) and former student Kynleigh Parker, now a Trainee Assistant at Lovell.
Clare, who was recently named as an Industry Ally at the CITB Top 100 Women in Construction awards for the second year running, said: “I am lucky to have met some incredible women during my time in the industry and have built an amazing network both locally and nationally. I wanted to share this network and create a community of like minded women who can join together and pave the way for the next generation of females in construction.”
Siu Mun Li, said: “The event was all about creating a community, supporting people in the industry and the idea was to take away the stigma of construction. There are lots of opportunities, be it digital, graphic design, accountancy, law – it’s not just hard hats and steel toe cap boots. I think the message is construction is an industry for everyone.”
Richmal Hardinge of Castons Artelia urged more women to give construction a try, while Fran Dinsdale of DPL Group shared how her company thrives by bringing women into the field.
Kynleigh Parker said: “I think events like this are so important to help as they help promote the industry to women.”
Averil Young, a lecturer at West Suffolk College, arranged for 17 female students to attend the lunch. She emphasised how the event highlighted the vast opportunities available for women in the industry, noting that it opened her students’ eyes to potential career paths in construction.
Averil said: “My students left feeling so inspired, and when asked about role models, they now feel like they have a room full of them.”
The event was sponsored by Castons Artelia Group, Sizewell C, DPL, and Hudson Group and was part of the 2024 West Suffolk Business Festival. Other key supporters were West Suffolk College, CITB, Eastern Education Group and Friel.
The lunch is set to be the first of many Women in Construction events after the overwhelming response from attendees.
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