Guides ‘Breaking Barriers’ to visit Ravenswood
On Wednesday, February 21st, Gipping Construction will welcome a group of ten Girl Guides from the 29th Ipswich (All Hallows) Guide unit, based on the Gainsborough Estate, to their site at neighbouring Ravenswood, where they are constructing 96 homes of affordable and social rent for Handford Homes, part of Ipswich Borough Council.
The visit is the result of months of planning between Leanda Hoyland-Linch at Gipping Construction and Mandy Grimwood, Guide leader and Ipswich East Division Commissioner after Gipping Construction responded to a plea from the Guides who are working to raise just over £8000 after some of their members were given the opportunity to take part in a life-changing trip to Paris this year.
As Mandy said, ‘We are based in the very deprived area of IP3, on Gainsborough estate in Ipswich and this is the first time we’ve considered offering our members an international trip. It would be a life-changing experience for them, improving their confidence, broadening their horizons and raising their aspirations for the future.
We encouraged the girls to apply even though cost was a barrier and we said that we would fundraise to help them cover the cost. We never expected such a response and are now challenged with raising around £8000.’
Mandy emailed Gipping Construction to ask if they could offer support and asked what the Guides would need to do in return.
Gipping responded with a pledge of £200 towards the fundraising total, but also saw it as an opportunity to give the Guides the chance to learn about, and gain, some experience of careers for women in construction.
As Leanda pointed out, ‘The construction industry employs fewer than 15% of women on average – a trend that Gipping Construction are determined to improve, with 19% female employees. One of the Guides’ themes for earning badges is based around ‘Breaking Barriers’ so what better way to help them understand how to break down those barriers than to actually get them on-site to do a practical construction activity and actually talk to some of our female employees about what it is like to work in a male dominated industry?’
The Guides will be provided with PPE, sponsored by Tiger, Gipping’s safety clothing supplier, prior to a tour of the site before taking on a practical construction activity. They will have the opportunity to talk about working in construction with three of Gipping’s female employees.
The initiative has caught the attention of the Construction Industry Training Board who will be represented by Allison Copeman. Allison will give a short talk on career opportunities and training routes for women into construction via local colleges and further education. The CITB will also provide ‘Go Construct’ merchandise and information for the Guides to take away.
At the end of the visit the Guides will be presented with certificates, information and plenty of goodies to take away but hopefully the biggest thing they take away will be the confidence to know they can break down any barriers to whatever career they choose in the future.
For more information on how you can get involved in guiding and supporting girls and young women, please visit the website girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved/
Next month, Gipping will host a ‘World of Work Day’ working with local charity, Inspire Suffolk, to offer a taster day of trades within the construction industry to a group of young people.
