Lovell in East Anglia are co-sponsors of the Women into Construction (WiC) East Anglia Employment Programme, alongside The Hill Group, Morgan Sindall Construction, Department of Work & Pensions and Clarion Futures. Morgan Sindall Group, who Lovell are a wholly-owned subsidiary of, are Platinum members of Women into Construction. Through the programme, Lovell regularly offers work placements to women on the programme, with the two-week placements having previously included opportunities focusing on painting and decorating, site management and engineering with Bowie Construction, a subcontractor of Lovell.
Rochelle Woods, aged 25 from Suffolk, had an interest in painting and decorating, and is currently working as a postal delivery worker. Taking annual leave from her current role to take on a placement, Rochelle was placed at the Lovell development, William’s Park at Wymondham. The placement was supported by Flagship Group, who work in partnership with Lovell at William’s Park to deliver quality affordable housing.
Rochelle said: “Someone I know suggested Women into Construction to me and, a few days after I made an enquiry, I heard back about how they could support me. I went on a site tour at Salters Road at King’s Lynn, and then got this placement doing painting and decorating with Lovell. It has been brilliant, hands on and has given me so much confidence in this being my career now. A big thank you to Neil and Trevor, and so many others, for looking after me and showing me the ropes and the day-to-day role from start to finish, including caulking and sanding. At school I thought that construction was just a career for boys and it wasn’t meant for me, but I have loved this and every day on site has got better and better. After getting this experience, I now know I want to do this as a career.”
Sasha Bainbridge, partnerships director at Lovell, said: “Rochelle has been truly inspirational on her placement and we have had brilliant feedback from the team about her positive attitude, work ethic and wanting to soak up every minute of it and ask questions. Rochelle believed that construction was a man’s world, but I have worked in the industry for most of my career and I have loved every minute of it.
Sasha continues: “33% of the Lovell workforce in Norfolk and Suffolk is female and 31% of those successfully seeking a new role in the business over the past 12 months have been women. We believe this is outstanding within the industry and reflects that there are some great opportunities for women in construction at every level. Supporting women in construction, giving them opportunities and achieving gender equality in the workplace is really important to Lovell, as is diversity and inclusivity. We work hard to attract, recruit and train more women to apply for roles in Lovell, and the wider industry, and really appeal to them too. The Women into Construction East Anglia Employment Programme offers women the opportunity to gain real insight into the industry through a series of informative workshops, mentoring sessions, career talks, site visits, work experience and offering support to individuals with CV writing and interview skills.”
Lovell Trainee Assistant Site Manager Kynleigh Parker recently picked up ‘Achievement in Exceptional Circumstances’ in the Apprenticeships Norfolk Awards 2024. Kynleigh has most recently been working at All Saints Green at Stradbroke, a site Lovell works on in partnership with Flagship, and is currently enrolled in a construction site supervisor level 4 program at West Suffolk College. She actively contributes to initiatives at Lovell to highlight the skills gap within the industry. In July 2022, Kynleigh faced a diagnosis of Stage 4 endometriosis and was determined to find a solution and raise funds by climbing Mount Snowden. However, in November 2022, Kynleigh required three months of intensive physiotherapy and psychological support after enduring a tragic accident that broke her back, nearly paralysing her. In January 2023, she returned to work at Lovell, with restricted and extremely light duties. In June 2023, she climbed Mount Snowden, and later underwent a successful egg-retrieval procedure. Everyone at Lovell is extremely proud of Kynleigh.
Anna Cook-Bacon is head of partnerships at Flagship Homes and has worked with firms including Lovell across the East of England. Ms Cook-Bacon, who has worked in construction for almost 20 years, says women are needed in construction more than ever.
Anna said: "A more diverse workforce would mean a different way of communicating with each other – it would change the dynamic of a building site. And we don’t have an influx of people coming onto worksites to replace those who are retiring, so now is a key time to get more women involved.”
Lovell also used its sponsorship of the Norfolk Property Drinks event on Friday 1st March at Chambers Cocktail Company in Norwich to encourage more attendance from women who are already working in the sector. Norfolk Property Drinks is a free event aimed at bringing professionals from across the property and construction sector together for informal networking and takes place on the 1st Friday of every month.
Just some of the positions currently held by women in Lovell in East Anglia include: regional partnerships director, regional sales director, development manager, HR advisor, training manager, trainee assistant site manager, trainee finisher, quantity surveyor, and assistant technical coordinator.
To find out more about careers at Lovell, visit careers at Lovell Partnerships.
For more information on Lovell visit www.lovell.co.uk or follow Lovell on social media.
