Construction industry: Emily takes home Local Hero award for Scotland 

Emily Carr from Kier Construction takes home Local Hero award for Scotland at this year’s Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction 

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is delighted to announce the winners for the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction Awards 2024. Congratulations to Emily Carr from Kier Construction, who took home the Local Hero award for the Scotland. 

The awards ceremony, which celebrates and honours the outstanding individuals within the sector, took place on 30 September at Birmingham’s Burlington Hotel at the start of UK Construction Week.

The Awards Ceremony was hosted by National Federation of Builders, and showcased the influential women that work in construction, making female and non-binary role models more visible and accessible to inspire others, and demonstrating that the sector is open to everyone.  

The category winners were: 

  • Local Heros – exceptional women from nine different regions across the United Kingdom who are currently working at an operational or site level role in construction 
  • Scotland: Emily Carr, Kier Construction  
  • Northern Ireland: Melanie Dawson, Origin7 
  • Wales: Katherine Evans, Bold as Brass  
  • North East: Denise Cherry, YIRTG 
  • North West: Melissa Fazackerley, Dimension H&S Ltd  
  • Midlands: Kayleigh Merritt, Winvic Construction Ltd 
  • East of England: Suzanne Moss, Ringway Infrastructure Services 
  • South East: Chloe Xidhas, Independent Consultant 
  • South West: Danielle Haskings, MCS 
  • Women on the Tools – for those working within a specific trade within the industry who have or are striving to inspire the next generation of construction workers 
  • Nettie Taylor, Eliza Tay Lady Decorators 
  • The Influencer – for those who have made a considerable and real impact at an organisational or national level within an organisation in one of three sub-categories (client, designer and contractor) 
  • Designer: Sam May, WSP 
  • Client: Liz McDermott, QuickFix Profiles 
  • Contractor: Carolyn Jay, Ringway Infrastructure Services 
  • Allies – the only category that recognises people, no matter the gender, within the industry who are acting as key influencers in supporting inclusion and change 
  • Alice Brookes, On the Tools 
  • Claire Brown, Turner & Townsend 
  • Clare Yelland, Friel 
  • Gail Farley, HMS Works 
  • Jason Newton, Redrow NW 
  • Joanna Strahan, C2C Group 
  • Lade Ogunlaja, Turner & Townsend 
  • Magdalena Stefanick, Tilbury Douglas 
  • Tony O’Sullivan, CPI Mortars Ltd 
  • Kelly Cartwright, Core Recruiter 
  • One to Watch – for industry newcomers leading the way in championing equality, diversity, inclusion and equity 
  • Kynleigh Parker, Lovell Partnership

The Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction were also unveiled at the awards with the UK’s Most Influential Overall accolade awarded to Katherine Evans from Bold as Brass

Danny Clarke, Engagement Director, England at CITB, said: “Congratulations to our award winners and to all of those who were shortlisted for the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Construction. We are delighted to recognise the incredible women and allies who are driving real change in the construction industry.  

“The award ceremony and Top 100 shortlist celebrate the women that work at every level within the sector and their phenomenal achievements, while inspiring others and encouraging the next generation to pursue careers in this field. We are proud to showcase those who are leading in our industry and hope to see more even more applicants next year.”  

Richard Beresford, Chief Executive Officer at National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “It was a privilege to attend the Top 100 Most Influential Awards event and celebrate the outstanding women and allies that have gone above and beyond this year.  

“It is testament to the positive changes taking place in the industry and we must build on its success and continue to empower and support women in construction.”  

New ‘Elizabeth Emblem’ medal unveiled to commemorate public servants who died in line of duty

Family members of police officers, firefighters and other public servants who have died in public service will be recognised by a new emblem

  • Police officers, firefighters and other public servants who died in the line of duty will be commemorated with new Elizabeth Emblem
  • National form of recognition conferred by His Majesty The King will be awarded to next of kin 
  • Elizabeth Emblem incorporates a rosemary wreath surrounding the Tudor Crown

Family members of police officers, firefighters and other public servants who have died in public service will be recognised by a new emblem.

The Elizabeth Emblem, which is conferred by His Majesty The King, is a national form of recognition awarded to the next of kin of police officers, firefighters, and many other public servants.

The award is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the UK Armed Forces who died in action or as a result of a terrorist attack.

The design of the Emblem incorporates a rosemary wreath, a traditional symbol of remembrance, which surrounds the Tudor Crown. It is inscribed with ‘For A Life Given In Service’, and will have the name of the person for whom it is in memoriam inscribed on the reverse of the Emblem. It will include a pin to allow the award to be worn on clothing by the next of kin of the deceased. 

The Emblem recognises how the sacrifices made by public servants who have lost their lives as a result of their duty could be recognised within the honours system. 

From today, next of kin of the deceased will be able to apply for the Emblem via gov.uk. Nominations will be reviewed by the George Cross Committee and recommendations then made to His Majesty The King via the Prime Minister. 

Recipients of The Elizabeth Emblem will receive their award from a senior representative such as a Chief Constable, Chief Fire Officer or His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant. 

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said: “We will not forget those who died in our service. 

“The Elizabeth Emblem will bring the nation together to honour the dedication and commitment of these exceptional public servants who have given their lives in service of the United Kingdom.”

Policing Minister, Chris Philp said: “We owe so much to our public servants who make sacrifices every day to keep us safe.

“The Elizabeth Emblem will recognise those who tragically lost their lives in public service and rightly enshrine them in our country’s history so that their sacrifices are never forgotten.”

TOLL: An act of anger, protest, recognition and remembrance

Concrete Block Gallery, Undercroft, 15 Lauriston Gardens, Edinburgh, EH3 9HH

Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th May between 11am and 5pm

As lockdown eases there’s an exhibition opening in an unconventional gallery space in a corner of Edinburgh that might help us to pause and reflect on what has happened before we rush out and enjoy the freedom.

‘Toll’ is an artwork by Edinburgh-based artist Andrew Brooks at the new Concrete Block Gallery, which makes a single mark for each of the first year’s reported deaths involving Covid19 in the United Kingdom.

The total reported deaths involving Covid19 for the first year in the UK was 145,652 and this is the number of marks made over 52 performances by Andrew in the space, each performance representing a single week’s statistics.

Andrew began the project online on March 13th 2021, publishing the first performance video on the one-year anniversary of the first reported deaths in the UK, and will complete this work of protest and remembrance on May 13th.

Andrew Brooks said: “There are two elements to the artwork: the physical piece with the marks made on the paper and also the performance of me in the space making the work – I do it in silence and on my own.  The performance of this is very much the work part of the work and is just as important as the paper.”

Each mark is made with a single brush dab and is 4cm high and made on rolls of paper 1.5m wide and 10m long. The marks fill 53 metres of paper and have used over a litre of black ink.

Each week’s statistics is filmed separately, and the longest film is 3 hours 6 minutes, representing the 6th week of Covid related deaths in the UK which was the highest toll for the year at 9,510.

Andrew continued: “The act of remembrance is very important in the way that I have gone about constructing this, attempting to recognise each one of those deaths. Understanding what one hundred and forty-five thousand marks looks like and how much time it takes to make those.

“I try and be as considered as possible when I make a mark because that is somebody – that is somebody’s family member, somebody’s friend and it’s somebody’s life that’s ended.”

Seeing Andrew’s endeavour on Instagram, documentary film maker, Dave MacFarlane of DMtwo Media, approached him to document the process of making the work.

Dave MacFarlane explained: “This recent filming project is one of those that come along and you can’t help but take notice.

“The subject matter, the artistic concept and the wider social impact were all key factors in wanting to produce this short documentary”.

Reflecting on why he decided to make the work, Andrew said: “When you think about the statistics it easily gets abstracted away but I’m doing this to make it physical and make it so that it can’t be avoided.

“It’s a visualization that really makes you understand what’s happened, over a hundred and forty-five thousand deaths, you have to realise that this is something to get angry about.

“The impetus for this was anger and that’s what’s fed it. It’s anger at Westminster and at central government. I’ve felt that they haven’t been decisive, they haven’t made strong decisions, there has been a lot of waste, that has resulted in over a hundred thousand deaths.

“This is a protest piece, this is my version of holding up a placard and standing out in the street – this is my concerted silent protest. Art can have many roles in society, and one of those is definitely protest and this is my protest”. 

‘Toll’ will be exhibited for viewings at Concrete Block Gallery Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th May between 11am and 5pm. 

Viewings can be booked through Eventbrite here: 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/toll-exhibition-tickets-153275995629

Pictures: DMtwo Media

North Edinburgh Youth Awards

Thursday 3 March from 5.30pm at North Edinburgh Arts

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Hi Everyone,

We would like to invite you all along to the North Edinburgh Youth Awards on Thursday 3rd March 2016, 5:30-8:00pm at North Edinburgh Arts Centre. There shall be refreshments from 5:00-5:30pm. We hope to see everyone there!

Please see poster (below) – please could everyone display this in their establishments?

If you would like any more information contact us or Danielle Ward at danielle.ward2@edinburgh.gov.uk

Regards,

North Edinburgh Young People’s Forum

Awards night poster (1)