Context
This strategic plan outlines the focus and priorities of NAWIC London &
South East over the next two years.
Image by Morley von Sternberg, Part of “The Image of Women in Construction”
This strategic plan outlines the focus and priorities of NAWIC London &
South East over the next two years.
It follows extensive discussions within our Committee as well as
consultation with Regional Members, Key Collaborators and
Stakeholders from within our industry. Throughout its development,
feedback has been essential and it is for this reason that we must
thank everyone who has contributed in some way to it.
Although it builds on previous proposals by NAWIC London & South
East such as “NAWIC UK & Ireland Financial Proposal 2016” and
“NAWIC UK & Ireland SML Objectives 2013 and 2015”, this strategy
has emerged from both our unique identity as a region and a proactive
will to address future challenges.
Our primary objectives remain:
• Members first approach
• Financial sustainability and long-term thinking
• Commitment to delivering a legacy for the next generation.
Our Vision
In a multilayered society where the communities we design and build for
are diverse, so should be our teams.
Image by Morley von Sternberg, Part of “The Image of Women in Construction”
We want to work in an industry which reflects the diversity of society
and our key targets are:
• A shift of focus from gender to ability
• Levelling the playing field across the industry
• Ending of stereotypes.
To achieve this, our work focuses on:
• Supporting the development of members
• Inspiring the next generation to look at the industry as a valid
source for a future career
• Reaching out to the entirety of our peers in order to deliver a real
difference.
We believe that together we can play a pivotal role in the development
of our industry as a whole, not only our members.
With this in mind we aim to extend the benefit of the work we do to
reach as many people as possible.
Delivering a Legacy
We want our industry to overcome challenges such as the skills gap or
Brexit and to thrive despite the above.
Image by Morley von Sternberg, Part of “The Image of Women in Construction”
In order to achieve this, we need to attract and retain the best talent .
We are committed to making sure that the construction industry,
with its roles and opportunities, is better understood and valued by
the general public in order to start challenging stereotypes.
Our strategies to achieve this include:
• Advocating Diversity in Construction by shining a light on work
which deserves a mention
• Delivering inspiring and useful events at a cost which is accessible
to the majority
• Increasing our reach to wider audiences, beyond the built
environment, through partnerships
• Facilitating a better understanding of the roles and opportunities
available within the built environment through projects such as
“The Image of Women in Construction”
• Facilitating debates and the exchange of ideas to improve
the industry as a whole
• Maintaining the “NAWIC London & South East Educational Fund”.
A Members-First Approach
Our industry faces a stream of talented professionals, primarily women,
choosing to leave and turning to other industries for employment.
Image by Morley von Sternberg, Part of “The Image of Women in Construction”
There are numerous reasons, from career stagnation, inflexible
environment to discrimination and we are committed to reversing
this trend by focusing our efforts on our members’ career development.
Our strategies to achieve this include:
• Supporting our members in finding ways to grow within their role
• Adding value to our events through achieving CPD Accreditation
• Providing our members with access to skills, knowledge and
networks to support their development
• Helping our members to connect with peers and clients and expand
business opportunities
• Facilitate the development of initiatives led by members
• Enable members to collaborate and share knowledge through
projects such as “The Business Breakfast Club” and by using
digital platforms
• Actively contributing to specialist projects such as Fluid Mentoring
which benefit our members
• Developing strong relationships with key political and influential
groups
• Supporting national and international awards and initiatives which
promote excellence.
Financial Sustainability
To enable the long term delivery of our strategies as well as the completion of our ongoing projects.
Image by Morley von Sternberg, Part of “The Image of Women in Construction”
Our aim is for the current membership growth to be maintained. However,
we acknowledge this is likely to increase and we feel that now is the
time to lay the foundations for a financial strategy, which will underpin
not only our current activities but also support our future aspirations. At
the centre of this strategy lies our main goal for this year, which is to
take all the necessary steps towards becoming a Charity
We believe the Charity Status will provide additional gravitas an a level of
formality which will help us increase our influence and to reach a much
wider audience.
We understand that among other things, in order to take this step, we
will need to consolidate our programme and processes and to continue to
grow our membership ensuring that our financial strategy supports our
vision, purpose and values.
We will do this by engaging talented and committed volunteers who will
add value to the membership and find ways to create a sustainable
platform which will enable us to continue to deliver excellence.