Women encouraged into trades helping social renters

"Lots of vulnerable or older people who live on their own just want to see a friendly face" said Faith Bolland.

She is a plumbing and gas apprentice helping maintain the social housing stock of BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) Council.

The mother-of-two describes herself as a "hands-on person" and has made the finals of a national competition encouraging female competitors to show off their skills in the plumbing and heating industry.

The council-owned company, BCP Homes is trying to encourage more women to take up trades roles - it employs 160 trades staff, but currently only six are women.

Bolland added: "Since I was little I did jobs with my Dad around the house and really enjoyed it.

"I'm a hands-on person and didn't like the idea of an office job so this is great".

She has qualified for the national finals of the HIP magazine Female Skills competition.

On the day I meet Faith she's working in a bathroom of house with Kerry Isom, a bathroom fitter and multi-trade specialist who has worked for the council's social homes department for 19 years.

Isom regularly fits bathrooms including plumbing, tiling and carpentry work and said she wanted to encourage more women into the sector.

"It's a great career for women, because it breaks stereotypes. It's hands on and I get to do practical things. This is great for my brain.

"When I knock on the door, people are often shocked it's a woman, but after I do the job, they're grateful someone has given it a bit of extra care on how it looks, the detail I hone in on".

As part of the drive to recruit more female apprentices, Jenny Mauger-Garry, head of repairs and maintenance delivery for BCP Homes visits schools and colleges in the area.

She said it was and says it's "disappointing" girls often do not engage with them.

"I hope by having women like Kerry and Faith going into our homes, young women living there will see them as role models and think 'yeah I could do that'.

"You have to see it, to want to be it".

She said there were distinct advantages of having an in-house maintenance team.

"We train people to go into a house and not just do the job they've been sent for, they also look for damp and mould or other problems, because we are looking after these homes long term. They can also report safeguarding concerns".

BCP Homes, which has 9,600 properties.

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