Novus Property Solutions has played its part in teaching girls from a Stafford school that the construction industry is not just a man’s world during a visit to one of its building sites.
Novus is currently building 32 affordable homes in Stafford for Stafford and Rural Homes (SARH) on the site of a former pub, with the project providing the ideal opportunity for local youngsters to learn more about construction. The trip also gave Year 5 and 6 pupils from Barnfields Primary School the chance to see how women are enjoying success in the industry.
On hand to share their experiences of working in construction were Laura Ingram, development project manager at SARH, and Helen Horne – a senior surveyor with SARH’s employer’s agent, Thornton Firkin – who helped organise the visit.
Stuart Seddon, chairman at Novus Property Solutions, commented: “Historically there have not been enough women working in construction, and this is an issue the industry is trying to tackle. We were delighted to be able to show these girls around the site and hope that visits like this will, in the future, inspire more girls to consider the many exciting and varied career options in the construction industry.”
Following the visit, Laura added: “It was great to see these young girls taking an interest in an industry that’s traditionally been male dominated, and we hope they will go on to consider a future in construction.
“Although it was strange to sometimes be the only female working on a development project, I’ve always felt welcome and part of a team. Since I started to work in the industry I’ve started to see a lot more women on construction sites.”
As well as the former pub, 20 disused garages have also been cleared from the site ahead of work on the development, which is starting to take shape. One of a number of schemes under construction by SARH in its tenth anniversary year, it consists of 18 apartments and a number of two- and three-bedroom houses for rent and shared ownership.
Due for completion in March 2017, the £3.9 million scheme has been supported with funding from the Homes and Community Agency and is expected to make a significant contribution to the regeneration of the local area.
