Although the number of women in the construction industry has increased in recent years, the natural stone sector remains a niche area for women. Recognising this was something that Claire Wallbridge hoped to address back in 2021. With many years of experience in the industry herself, she found that she had a simple yet burning question in her mind, namely, “Who are the women in our industry?”

To mark International Women’s Day that year, she reached out to her network and invited women to share a photo of themselves with a paragraph about their role in stone to be collated and shared on social media. In her invitation, she noted, “We want to get the message out that Stone is a sector that is diverse and open to all, with many career choices.” She was met with a positive response, and one that galvanised her desire to bring these women together and form a supportive community. Launching at the Landscape Show in 2022, Women in Natural Stone (WINS) has now grown to a membership of over 350, with Regional Ambassadors supporting a core London base. In 2023, Stone Federation Great Britain took over the running of the group to enable its growth and development, and it continues ot go from strength to strength.

As was the goal from the start, WINS provides a network of camaraderie and support, and aims to encourage new women into the industry, as current co-chair and director Athena Stone, Becca Cranfield, can attest:

“When I began my career in natural stone 7 years ago, I was in a sector I knew nothing about. It always felt like everyone that I met had been in stone forever, and with my own company being so small, I didn’t know who to turn to for support. It was often the women that I met who I felt most comfortable asking the stupid questions, to reach out to for guidance and advice. I’ve been lucky that I have had informal mentorship along my journey from the networks that I’ve built. But without the opportunity for women to meet each other, this just wouldn’t happen. Providing networking for women who might not otherwise have this enables relationships to form naturally.”

Networking and support remain the central aim for WINS. Many of the women involved are the only female team member in a heavily male-dominated sector. By bringing women together in a relaxed environment, the collective have fostered relationships that have developed into friendships and career development. WINS hosts a number of annual events in London, and across the regions, with formats ranging from motivational speakers to Q&As with a panel, quarry tours, site visits, lunches, and drinks. Younger team members, students, and those joining the industry are actively encouraged to attend, meet their more experienced counterparts, and make valuable connections.

Fellow co-chair and operations director of Szerelmey, Tamsin Pickeral, underlines the impact such opportunities afford:

“I was completely blown away when the Stone Federation asked me to be Co-Chair of WINS in 2022; it was such an honour! I joined the industry (and Szerelmey) in 2013, and at that time, there were very few female employees in either the company or the industry. I had “fallen” into my role by accident rather than design, as often happens, I think. But because of that, I didn’t have any specific stone experience. That, combined with being a minority, made navigating my way quite tricky. Luckily for me, my colleagues were mostly very supportive, and that made all the difference.”

Inspiring future women into the industry remains a driving force to WINS, and helping them to find their confidence to be heard in a male-dominated world is high on the agenda, and something that Tamsin notes as showing positive signs of change:

“I do remember very vividly a number of early external meetings that I went to when I was the only female in the room, and how difficult it was to speak up and be heard. Sometimes, I still get anxious, but I have developed a number of tools to cope, and a tough exterior! WINS are so important to me. Seeing the number of women in the industry massively grow and having a support network is fantastic. I am excited for the future of WINS and to see it continue to grow and provide support, networking, and friendships.”

The team are keen to highlight that they are not only welcoming, diverse and supportive, but fun. What’s more, WINS is run by industry professionals who, between them, have chalked up a great number of years of experience. WINS brings these voices together and provides opportunity for discussion and debate, which has enabled them to become a recognised and respected group. WINS might not be the largest network, but it is certainly mighty!