North East Mayor Kim McGuinness visited Bellway’s Centurion Chase housing development in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, to meet women working in the homebuilding industry and find out more about the construction of sustainable properties in the region.
During the visit, the Mayor was given a tour of the site, where Bellway North East is building 215 new homes, as well as viewing the showhome and House to Home property – which demonstrates the internal construction and sustainable features of a new-build home for customers.
She also spoke to women working for the housebuilder in its North East and Durham divisions, including trainee assistant site manager, Sophie Curtis, who was Bellway’s apprentice of the year last year having joined the company in 2021 as an apprentice bricklayer. She now works at Bellway’s Hedworths Green at Lambton Park development, near Chester-le-Street.
Kim said: “It’s been brilliant to see women making their careers in construction. There are still more men than women working in the industry but seeing women making the choice to work in frontline construction roles, managing sites, taking on apprenticeships and learning construction skills is fantastic. These women are leading the way.
“I was impressed to see that at Bellway women now account for more than 30 per cent of the workforce and this is growing.”
The Mayor also met Terri McGuire who was the first female assistant site manager for Bellway’s North East division, having moved from a customer service role.
Other Bellway construction staff who attended included trainee assistant site manager Natalie Hammond, who like Sophie, is based at Hedworths Green at Lambton Park.
Natalie entered the industry from the hospitality sector following a two-week work placement at the site in May this year as part of the Home Builders Federation (HBF) Women into Home Building programme.
Kim said: “We have steep housing targets for the North East and nationally, and they must be met in the next few years. This is vital because there are so many people in need of good quality homes.
“But to deliver that we need a skilled and sizeable workforce within the construction industry, so an inclusive approach is important.
“And for a sustainable future we need modern methods of construction so that energy efficient homes can be built quickly and to a high standard. A thriving construction industry is essential to this region. It will help to set up the North East for a successful future.”
Bellway North East Sales Director Emma Chesterton said: “We have highly skilled and motivated women working for us throughout the business including on our construction sites.
“Our involvement with the Women into Home Building programme has allowed us to nurture talent and provide opportunities that benefit women and benefit our business.
“It’s all part of creating a resilient and thriving industry. The benefits are far reaching, not just in terms of housing delivery but also in economic growth and job creation.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Kim to Centurion Chase, and I would like to thank her for the keen interest she has shown regarding the homebuilding industry and its impact on the region.”
The HBF Women into Home Building scheme connects women with the industry through a three-week programme that includes a week of training and insight sessions followed by a two-week work placement.
To find out more about Bellway’s involvement with the programme visit https://www.bellwaycareers.co.uk/our-programmes/women-into-home-building.
Bellway North East is building new homes across the region, with more information available at https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/north-east.
