Horgan Homes’ director Sophie Horgan has been named as part of the Magnificent Seven - a group of female housebuilders blazing a trail for women in construction.
The Magnificent Seven initiative from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for SME Housebuilders was launched to mark Women’s History Month. The campaign, “I am a Housebuilder”, is designed to increase the number of women in the housebuilding industry.
As one of the seven foremost female SME housebuilding leaders in the UK, Sophie will be one of seven women spearheading the campaign, alongside Sarah Barraclough, managing director of Skipton Properties, Rosey Cassidy, director of Newman Rose, Charlotte Edwards, managing director of Dennis Edwards Homes, Georgina Hammond, co-founder and director of Beau Property, Alice Maughan, creative director and designer of Stronghold Homes and Xuan Meng, founder and director of Cosy Hauz.
All seven women are leading successful development businesses and are committed to mentoring and supporting more women to become SME housebuilders.
Sophie said: “I have always used my profile to encourage young women to consider a career in construction and to show what opportunities are available, so I’m delighted to be included in the Magnificent Seven.
“Just two per cent of SME housebuilding companies are owned and led by women, and there are just 297,000 women working in the industry in the UK compared to 1.8 million men – and only one per cent of those work as a skilled trades professional.
“But there is no reason why women can’t have good and fulfilling careers in construction. At a time when the whole industry is crying out for skilled tradespeople, the opportunities are huge.
“Girls still hear the message that building trades are for boys, or construction isn’t the place for girls, and that is frustrating because it’s just not true. The I am a Housebuilder campaign aims to change the messaging, and not before time.”
The I am a Housebuilder campaign will focus on three pledges, which will be rolled out throughout 2024 and will culminate in an industry networking event in Parliament, bringing politicians, partners, allies and female housebuilders together.
The pledges are:
· Increase the visibility of successful women within the sector to attract more women to apply for roles
· Create a senior mentoring network to help women into leadership positions
· Work in partnership with trade bodies and organisations to positively promote the sector to women of all ages, when recruiting from apprenticeship to the board room
The APPG for SME Housebuilders is a cross-party forum, building political consensus to create the best environment for regional SME housebuilders to thrive.
Andrew Lewer, chair of the APPG, said: “We need to reshape the public perception of the housebuilding industry. The antiquated view held by some is harming the future growth of the industry, preventing us from seeing diversity, causing a skills shortage and depriving the industry from accessing a pool of incredible talent. We want to put an end to this once and for all.”
“It’s time for the industry and the legislature to work together to reverse the decline of SME housebuilders and encourage more women into the sector. By increasing diversity, we will open this great industry to more innovation and growth, which will be a major step towards rebalancing the housebuilding sector as a whole.”
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