5 October 2018 

Last night WiBE members were treated to an inspirational session on how to build your resilience within the workplace. 

An interesting topic that came from group discussions was the perception of women in senior roles and the negative connotations by association. The general consensus in the room was if a woman is assertive and has a strong vision then she is branded rude, difficult and horrendous to work with. However, if a man possesses those same qualities, he is lauded as a successful professional and businessman. A common theme that was apparent was women in this industry feeling they have more to prove than their male counterparts.

For many of us, networking events in our industry can be daunting. Quite often, we are the only woman in the room. That's why it was extremely satisfying to discover that each of us stated we can handle working in this male-dominated environment, but used WiBE as a safe space, to speak to and meet other like-minded professionals and offer words of wisdom and support. Buzz words that came up included "Support", "Connection", "Belonging" and "Connection". WiBE was designed to provide a platform for networking, support and reassurance, and we are thrilled to hear that we are doing just that.

So what is resilience? There are many diverse definitions out there, and different people will view resilience as either a positive or a negative quality. Birdsoup offered their own definition, and described resilience as a dynamic process, through which one is reflective, adaptive and resourceful in the face of extraordinary pressures. We think that sums it up rather nicely. 

We would like to say a massive thank you to Flagship who let us use their facilities free of charge to Hays for sponsoring the event, and to the wonderful Jo and Alison from Birdsoup for an informative and engaging evening. Be sure to check out their website (link below) for more details on the support, training and courses that they offer.

1 August 2018 

Jerene is the first female President of the NAA for 40 years and is currently halfway through her 2-year term. In October 2017 she successfully organised and ran the fifth biennial FANN Festival in Norwich which celebrates architecture within Norwich and Norfolk. The NAA is the Norfolk branch of RIBA - The Royal Institute of British Architects and aims to support the strategic priorities and vision of RIBA.

 

Jerene's main aim as President is to engage with education bodies to provide children with more information on careers within the construction industry, to encourage the next generation to join this exciting sector and understand the roles and career paths that they can take. Young people are more inspired by and respond more to what they can see, which is why it is so important to have role models of all kinds within this industry. A large majority of children aren't aware of the roles they can undertake in the construction and property industries.

In the UK we have 27 million working people. This splits down fairly evenly to a 50:50 split between between men and women. However, out of the 2.3 million people employed in the construction industry, only 296,000 are women. 27% of women stated that they had been actively discouraged from pursuing a career within construction and property. (Figures derived from a Government White Paper in 2015). 

The absence of women within the construction industry is leaving a massively untapped talent pool. Men and women think differently, and studies have shown that companies employing an equal number of men and women thrive and are far more productive compared to those who don't. The construction industry remains a very male dominated sector, and that is what WiBE and Jerene as NAA President are trying to change. And the change isn't just aimed at women, we need to encourage people from all walks of life to join the construction industry to create a diverse and varied sector.

31 July 2018   

 

We  said goodbye to our lovely founding members Jackie and Alice who formally stepped down as Chair and Vice Chair of WiBE at the AGM. The other committee members got them some special gifts to say thank you for all of their hard work over the years. They will still no doubt be regulars at WiBE events so keep an eye out for them!

The new WiBE committee were elected as follows: 

Chair - Madeline Tucker 

Vice Chair - Sarah Simpson 

Treasurer - Hayley Stockwell 

Secretary - Georgia Wastell

Membership Secretary - Mia Church

Laura Broxton 

Sophie Taylor 

Njoki Kambo 

Nicola Curle 

Hazel Ellard 

Sasha Edmonds

This event was kindly sponsored by Chaplin Farrant. Check out their website for information on the services that they offer and news on their exciting projects. 

 5 July 2018   

 

 

In the 1800's, there were fewer opportunities for women wanting to practice architecture, and they were denied many of the opportunities that were readily available to their male peers. Nevertheless, Ethel was determined, and despite being barred from attending the Architectural Association School, she persevered with her studies and successfully passed the RIBA examinations for associate membership. In 1898, Ethel was finally granted membership, although a minority of existing members still voted against her.

 

Ethel recognised that the best opportunities for architects were in commercial commissions, however, like many women working in this industry in the period, she was unable to obtain commissions for large-scale projects. These continued to be reserved for men. Ethel focused on domestic architecture and modest housing projects. 

 

Ethel was a pioneer of architecture, and everyone is encouraged to celebrate this inspirational woman along with all inspirational women throughout the industry. 

#EthelDay