Both the stone industry and construction continue to be primarily dominated by men. While progress has been made, in the last several years, there has been a noticeable push for opportunities to close the gender gap in this field.

Becca Cranfield and Tamsin Pickeral, co-chairs of Women in Natural Stone, are paving the way for greater inclusivity and diversity with Women in Natural Stone. Their regular events are taking both London and the nation by storm, and we cannot wait to see what is in store for the rest of 2024 and beyond.

Originally intended as a way to embrace International Women’s Day during lockdown, the initiative has now grown to become a support network for women nationwide to connect and share experiences. With plans to expand across the UK with regional ambassadors and support from Stone Federation Great Britain, it is truly an exciting time for Women in Natural Stone.

Can you share the story behind the inception of Women in Natural Stone?

The idea came to Claire Wallbridge (Natural Stone Industry Training Group) during the first lockdown as a way to celebrate International Women’s Day. Despite the bleak circumstances, the virtual world provided us all with new mechanisms to connect.

International Women’s Day is hugely celebrated in many countries but was still relatively low-profile here in the UK during this time. This became an exciting opportunity for WINS to lead the way in the construction sector. As part of the very first Women in Natural Stone campaign, Claire saw the opportunity to harness the online community and encourage women in the industry to share their stories and photographs.

Creating Women in Natural Stone enabled these women to come together, meet, share their experiences, and inspire each other and future generations of women into the industry.

Following on from Claire’s successful launch and to support the growth of the group, Stone Federation of Great Britain took on the administration of WINS in 2022, and it was at this point that Becca and Tamsin were appointed to take the reigns as co-chairs.

How has the reception and participation of women in the natural stone sector changed since the initiative’s launch?

Naturally, there are sceptics who do not fully understand WINS. Despite this, we held an event in December 2023 open to all in the industry, and it was a tremendous success. We have had several senior team members ask us to look out for their younger staff at events, and I regularly email male stone industry leaders and ask them to share WINS information with their team. The enthusiasm they have for sharing this information is part of the reason this initiative started in the first place, not just women supporting women, but celebrating our unique industry and inspiring inclusivity across the board. It hopes to bring more talent into the stone industry by highlighting that we are open, welcoming, and supportive.

Are there any recent events or initiatives of which you are particularly proud?

On the 6th of March, we hosted a super exciting event to mark International Women’s Day. It entailed an evening of networking, food, drink, socialising, and inspirational talks.

The incredible Rochelle Clark (MBE), an ex-international player for England Rugby, shared her story of getting into the sport and her success. The event was a huge triumph. Rochelle Clark was humorous and shared advice and stories while reminding everyone of the importance of ‘pumping up each other’s tyres.’ Everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and it was fantastic to see both fresh faces there as well as our regular supporters.

How have these events contributed to the empowerment and recognition of women in the natural stone sector?

The events naturally lend themselves to a feeling of empowerment and recognition, but it is the connections made that truly help women obtain recognition. We are getting a “voice” in the industry, and our events, online messaging, and exposure from various media are massively helping. We are, of course, all about empowering women and recognising the talents we bring to the industry, but we are also about connections, friendships, and support. We are always stronger together.

Where do you envision Women in Natural Stone in the next 5-10 years?

The focus of the initial phase has been on connection. The idea was to bring women together so that they could meet and support each other. We are now expanding this geographically, which is the focus for 2024. The next stages will look at what more we can offer women in terms of support, training, and advice. We ran a short workshop as part of an evening in 2023, and this is something we would love to revisit. There is also the ‘inspire’ element of WINS that we still want to develop in terms of promoting the industry to younger people. We are beginning to touch on this slightly with campaigns and videos focusing directly on the diversity of roles within the industry and proving a spotlight for talented women in stone.

What advice would you give to young women who aspire to pursue leadership positions or entrepreneurship within the natural stone industry?

My advice is always to be undeterred and to grow thick skin. Believe in yourself and your abilities, do not doubt yourself, and be brave. It is important to surround yourself with people who believe in you, support you, and give you the push you may need. I am a firm believer that anything is achievable if you want it badly enough and are prepared to put in the work.

How do you plan to ensure sustainability and longevity for Women in Natural Stone amidst evolving trends and dynamics in the natural stone industry?

A little biassed, but we are ahead of the curve if anything. WINS is volunteer-led, and the co-chairs, Tamsin and Becca, come from diverse backgrounds, so each brings individual skill sets to the group. We have representation from quarrying, construction, and machinery, with individuals from marketing, project management, business development, and everything in between. This wealth of experience means we can draw on different knowledge, connections, and contacts as we grow and develop.

Finally, what has been the most rewarding aspect of leading Women in Natural Stone for you? Is there a particular moment or experience from your journey with Women in Natural Stone that stands out to you as particularly impactful or meaningful?

Becca – There was an email I received last week simply entitled ‘Checking In’ from my WINS co-chair. When you run a small business and constantly work on your own, there are a few people who go out of their way just to see how you are. Having a group of women who look out for me, support me, and that truly inspires me and is why I do this.

Tamsin – One of the most rewarding things for me is thinking or hoping that through WINS we are helping others, either encouraging young people into the industry or being there to support those already on their journey. I feel privileged to be a part of this and to have met the people I have through it.

Keep an eye out on LinkedIn for details and the next event and happenings at WINS by following https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/women-in-natural-stone/.