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New initiative aims to make housebuilding more inclusive for women, ultimately improving diversity in the sector and addressing the skills shortage
I am a Housebuilder, an initiative set up by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for SME Housebuilders, has announced the pairings from its inaugural mentorship programme.
The initiative, sponsored by Saint-Gobain Interior Solutions, partners women who are already working in construction or housebuilding with experienced professionals, many of whom own their own SME housebuilding businesses.
The current mentees range from 23 to 58 years old, with applicants from a broad spectrum of disciplines across the property and housebuilding sector, including architects, planners, site assistants, letting agents, designers and marketers.
Several of the candidates have already established their own housebuilding or construction firms and hope to learn how to further develop their skills to enable them to scale their businesses.
Due to the strong response to the launch of the programme, two new mentors have joined the initiative – Rutu Buddhdev, director of Amara Property; and Elli Kiely, design and innovation director at HJK Construction.
Edwin de Silva, former secretariat for the APPG for SME Housebuilders, said: “The incredibly enthusiastic response that we received to the launch of the mentorship programme shows that this is something that the industry has been calling out for.
“Programmes such as this are incredibly important to ensure women have the support to help them excel in a sector that has long been male dominated.”
Through the 12-month programme, mentors and mentees will meet on a quarterly basis with the mentors also providing ad hoc counsel.
The pairings for the inaugural 2024/5 programme are:
- Abbi Bird – partnered with Georgina Hammond, director at Beau Property
- Bronwen Lee – partnered with Elli Kiely, design and innovation director at HJK Construction
- Carlene Brooks – partnered with Sarah Barraclough, managing director at Skipton Properties
- Carole Williams – partnered with Rosey Cassidy, director at Newman Rose
- Cristina Militaru – partnered with Xuan Meng, founder and director at Cosy Hauz
- Daria Kruczek – partnered with Sophie Horgan, director at Horgan Homes
- Glory Imahia – partnered with Rutu Buddhdev, director at Amara Property
- Hannah Smith – partnered with Elli Kiely, design and innovation director at HJK Construction
- Jannika Newlyn – partnered with Alice Maughan, creative director and designer at Stronghold Homes
- Joanne Chambers – partnered with Georgina Hammond, director at Beau Property
- Katarzyna Gawenda – partnered with Charlotte Edwards, managing director at Dennis Edwards Homes
- Kerry Ashford – partnered with Georgina Hammond, director at Beau Property
- Kristina Donnelly – partnered with Sarah Barraclough, managing director at Skipton Properties
- Liz Debenham – partnered with Rosey Cassidy, director at Newman Rose
- Melissa Potente – partnered with Sophie Horgan, director at Horgan Homes
- Rachel Colin – partnered with Charlotte Edwards, managing director at Dennis Edwards Homes
- Sandra Ives – partnered with Rosey Cassidy, director at Newman Rose
- Sarah Kassim – partnered with Alice Maughan, creative director and designer at Stronghold Homes
- Sarah Jones – partnered with Sarah Barraclough, managing director at Skipton Properties
- Sophia Briggs – partnered with Charlotte Edwards, managing director at Dennis Edwards Homes
- Sophia Lomer – partnered with Xuan Meng, founder and director at Cosy Hauz
- Sophie Mitchell – partnered with Sophie Horgan, director at Horgan Homes
- Stacey Brown – partnered with Rutu Buddhdev, director at Amara Property
- Yingying Xue – partnered with Xuan Meng, founder and director at Cosy Hauz
- Zoe Fudge – partnered with Rutu Buddhdev, director at Amara Property
