   PRESS RELEASE FROM BBA:
Women outnumber men on the Boat Building Academy’s flagship 40-week course for the first time in its 28-year history. The newest student cohort at the Boat Building Academy (BBA) in Lyme Regis, Dorset comprises eight women and seven men. The most women enrolled previously was four - and for two years there were no female students at all. Diversity in boat building has long been a concern, and the rise in female applicants at the BBA is the result of a far-reaching, new Diversity and Inclusivity mission, launched just over a year ago by the BBA and Belinda Joslin, founder of Women in Boatbuilding (WIBB). The multi-faceted strategy puts diversity at the heart of the Academy’s priorities - from the top down - and includes practical and financial support. A five-day Women’s Workshop course now runs annually for women to try their hand at woodworking, before committing to further study. While a new bursary scheme exclusively for women is making it possible for a growing number of women to meet the cost of the course and access the high-level training and career development opportunities it provides. In addition, WIBB members already working in the industry are also actively mentoring female BBA students. Student Sophia Harding from Portsmouth is just 17. Determined to enter a ‘practical’ career she dropped out of sixth form, taught herself to sail and bought an old boat, which she single-handedly restored last winter. The BBA’s new women’s bursary scheme has now enabled her to join the 40-week course. She said: “I enrolled on the one-week workshop out of curiosity. I enjoyed it, but had to see how feasible it would be to get a place on the 40-week course, which would require funding the course privately and moving away from home. “The interview with the BBA involved them ascertaining my commitment, and the game changer was when they announced that I had won a 50 per cent bursary. “During the summer I worked for Urban Truant, a charter boat company, where I saved every penny towards the outstanding fees. They also sponsored a portion of the fees, and in addition, I gained sponsorship from the William Price Trust. “The hard work paid off and I’m absolutely loving it,” she continued. “It’s incredibly challenging as you would expect. It’s inspiring to be part of a group of men and women of all ages, from all over the world and with varying capabilities, who are each equally passionate about learning to build beautiful wooden boats.” Student Hannah Lovett, 38, and from Calderdale in West Yorkshire, has come to the BBA after leaving her career as a restauranteur. She said: “I knew that working with my hands was the only way I wanted to work, and I was initially thinking joinery. But one day a friend who works with boats sent me a link to Women in Boat Building which I found completely inspiring. A couple of weeks later, I woke up at 3am, sat bolt upright in bed and knew that’s what I should do. “I’m so happy to be on the first course to be predominantly women. I love that the Academy is making a conscious effort to balance gender diversity.” The cohort started the course ‘upstairs’ at the BBA, learning the skills which eventually enables them to move ‘downstairs’ and begin the long and challenging process of building four wooden boats from scratch. These boats will be proudly launched, in line with tradition, into Lyme Regis harbour next June. Belinda Joslin of Women in Boatbuilding said: “The BBA is an amazingly inclusive and welcoming environment for women, so we're delighted to have helped more women to feel that it's a space they belong in and are welcome in. This success story is proof that the DEI strategy worked and we hope the wider industry will learn from the measures that BBA have taken, and put more of a priority on DEI to tackle the skills shortage in boatbuilding nationwide.” BBA Director Will Reed agreed: “It’s deeply encouraging to see so many talented women on the course. “We have an exciting strategy in place to further promote diversity and inclusion in the industry and look forward to seeing these and many more young women go on to exciting careers in boat building.” Ends Picture captions: Sophia Harding and Hannah Lovett are members of the new 40-week course cohort which is predominantly female for the first time in its history. Members of the new cohort outside the BBA in Lyme Regis. www.boatbuildingacademy.com The BBA was founded in 1997 by naval commander Tim Gedge and has trained over 2500 people in boat building and furniture making. Many students have gone on to work at some of the top boatyards in the world. Women in Boatbuilding is a Community Interest Company that supports and celebrates the work of women who work hands-on in boatbuilding and related marine trades round the world. Boatyards, boatbuilding and the maritime industry as a whole continue to be heavily male-dominated. WIBB shares the stories of the women working in the industry to inspire others and offer support to colleges and yards who want to improve their gender diversity. www.womeninboatbuilding.com Boat Building was placed on the Red List of Endangered Crafts in 2023. This status is given when there is believed to be insufficient growth in the number of practitioners to make the craft viable following the present generation.  The second Women in Boatbuilding Christmas Gathering will be held from 10.30am on Saturday 7 December.
A full day of activities and networking are planned, enabling women working hands-on in boatbuilding and related marine trades to meet, support, learn and grow from each other. The day will start with a private viewing of Victory Live: The Big Repair - showcasing the ten year conservation programme currently taking place on Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory. Visitors will also get an exclusive look at the work of the shipwrights onboard HMS Warrior, the largest and most powerful warship of Queen Victoria’s fleet. Events will be led by the shipwrights who are part of the talented team preserving these historic ships. This will be followed by a rope demonstration of practical knots and methods used by the shipwrights in the yard. In the afternoon, the group will tour the Lloyds Register Heritage Foundation SHE-SEES exhibition situated in Boathouse No4, that celebrates the work of women – past and present - in the maritime world. Members of the community will then share some of their own stories and experiences, including Norfolk Boatbuilder Abbey Molyneux and Italian Boatbuilder Gaia Brojano. Both women were recently invited to speak at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival in NW Pacific US, and their stories inspired and amazed festival goers, including internationally-acclaimed technical author Nigel Calder. ‘Abbey’s talk in Port Townsend was the best I have ever watched.’ ‘We’re delighted to be gathering in Portsmouth this Christmas – the combination of the SHE_SEES exhibition, and the diverse workforce on the historic ships means that it’s the perfect environment to gather and celebrate the work that women are involved with in the industry.’ Belinda Joslin, Founder Women in Boatbuilding CIC Limited places are available to book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/womeninboatbuilding We welcome anyone working in boatbuilding or related trades to join us. The Women in Boatbuilding Team had an amazing time at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival 2024, sharing their stories and skills and having a great time. We were blown away with the whole festival and place - will write a longer highlights blog post when I've recovered from jet lag but just wanted to say THANK YOU PORT TOWNSEND! Team Included: Obi Oji - Blue Tree Boatbuilders - UK Sydney Fassam - Sunseeker International - UK Abbey Molyneux - Abbey Boatbuilder - UK Christine MAcPheat - Canada Gaia Brojanigo - Broja Woodworking - Italy Belinda Joslin - UK Heike Lowenstein - UK  The WIBB team are going stateside in September! We've been asked to create some Women in Boatbuilding events at this amazing festival, and we can't wait to meet all the women there working in marine trades...
Since the festival organisers first asked us to attend to create a WIBB panel, our events and level of involvement have grown and grown. There are now 7 women from different countries, backgrounds and trades coming in to be a part of the festival.... to give talks, demos, presentations, tours, events, meet like-minded people, share stories, make friends and celebrate the craft we all love. We can't wait! Thank you so much Barb, Kaci and Diana for inviting us and we can't wait to meet you in person! So great to report that the BBA have had a huge uplift in the number of women studying boatbuilding there - partly down to our collaboration :) Press release from BBA below...and an amazing image that says it all. So chuffed.  Opportunities for women boat builders growing thanks to the BBA. A year after implementing its new Diversity and Inclusivity mission, the Boat Building Academy and Furniture School (BBA) in Lyme Regis is seeing encouraging results, with female enrolments rising from zero to 25 per cent on some courses. Founded in 1997 by naval commander Tim Gedge, the BBA situated on Monmouth Beach is a professional training institution that teaches both modern and traditional boat-building methods. Will Reed became the Director and Co-Chair of Trustees of the academy in 2019 and made it a priority to increase opportunities for women students, not only at the Boat Building Academy, but also across the wider industry. Alongside a bursary scheme available to all, a bursary scheme exclusively for women gives access to high-level training and career development opportunities and has already been taken up by six students. The BBA’s flagship 40-week boat-building course, which often provides its graduates with a direct route into some of the country’s top boatyards, currently has 25 per cent women and one non-binary person amongst its ranks. Will explained: “Gender does not dictate what people are capable of doing, or not doing – it should be irrelevant. We are determined to make the BBA a welcome place for all and to have a better balance in the workshops. We are thrilled with the positive results and this success has been boosted considerably by our close and ongoing collaboration with Women in Boatbuilding (WIBB).” WIBB works to expand the activity and support for women working hands-on in boatbuilding and related industries by working with organisations like the BBA and providing a mix of mentoring, workshops and social opportunities. Amy Stringfellow, WIBB director, has worked with Will to create the Women’s Workshop, a five-day course which she has designed for women to try their hand at woodworking. Eleven women have taken part in the programme so far with plenty of interest in future courses. Some of the women attending use the course as a taster, and an opportunity to talk to the BBA team about longer courses. Women in Boatbuilding members already working in the boat building industry are also actively mentoring female BBA students. BBA Graduate and WIBB Director Dr Obioma Oji has mentored current BBA student Marie Franklin. Marie said: “It has been a joy for me to be part of the WIBB mentorship scheme. I have been so fortunate as my mentor is a fabulous woman who has taken time to listen to me and had encouraged me in so many ways. It’s super inspiring to see how she has developed her boatbuilding and I always look forward to spending time with her and her infinite wisdom.” Founder of WIBB, Belinda Joslin said: “The first time I met Will in 2022 I asked him how many women he had enrolled on his upcoming 40-week boat building course, and he said: “None – and none in the course before it. “Having worked as a finisher in the industry myself I wasn’t surprised by this. “But I was impressed by Will’s determination to change this and his willingness to ask us for help. It’s very encouraging to see the progress we have already made through our joint strategy, combined with the inclusive environment that is a priority at BBA. “ She continued: “The BBA should now not only continue to proactively welcome and support women at the academy, but also expand to support BBA graduates when they enter the workforce. We have already seen great results through our own mentoring scheme. I would like to see the BBA form its own graduate mentoring programme. “The industry continues to be very male dominated, so continuing the right support for women is crucial to retain them in boatbuilding roles. The BBA is forward-thinking enough to see that - done right - this can benefit the entire industry.” For information on the BBA’s courses and bursaries please visit: www.boatbuildingacademy.com Ends Picture captions: D&i1 - Belinda Joslin (centre) visited the BBA in March to attend the traditional sailmaking course and spoke of her delight at progress so far, and the continuing mission to promote diversity and inclusion in boatbuilding. She is seen here with the BBA’s current female students. D&i2 – BBA student Marie Franklin (left) and BBA graduate and WIBB Director Dr Obiama Oji. Media information on this release from Debbie Granville at: [email protected]  Join us for the next ZOOM social on Thursday 9th May - email for a link [email protected]
EVERYONE welcome! Great chance to catch-up with what's going on in everyone's yard and meet new women in the industry. Join us for an in-person Women in Boatbuilding Social on Saturday 17th March 2024.
From 11.30 at the Boat Building Academy in Lyme Regis - for networking, a tour of the boatbuilding school and fish and chips! This is a chance to meet and chat to other women in the industry - will be very informal - everyone welcome. Tickets - £10 from Eventbrite; https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-in-boatbuilding-social-tickets-837454447797?aff=oddtdtcreator Episode 1 of the 'British Boatbuilders Tour 2023' - released on YouTube Friday 6th October10/6/2023
Subscribe to find the episodes on the Women in Boatbuilding Youtube channel (its free) www.youtube.com/@womeninboatbuilding American Fellowship student and filmmaker, Annie Means, toured yards on the South Coast, Cornwall, and the East Coast over 3 weeks in August. She filmed and interviewed women working hands-on, to capture a snapshot of their experiences. All boatbuilders were asked the same questions, with the focus on their skills and work. However many also talked about their gender in relation to their work, so the interviews are an honest, insightful, inspiring and fun reflection of some incredible women. The series showcases the work of women in a diverse set of roles in yards – from cover-makers to shipwrights, laminators to electricians. Covering the full range of scale in boatyards – from the enormity of Sunseeker International to Abbey Boatbuilder in her one-woman yard in Norfolk, and everything in between. Several yards that were approached have no women working hands-on, some have 1 in 100+, and some are yards owned and run by the women that were interviewed. ‘The one thing all boatbuilders we spoke to have in common is their passion about their jobs and their conviction that there is a place for everyone in the industry.’ Belinda Joslin, founder of WIBB The aim of the tour was to create content that shares the skills and experiences of some of the amazing women and the work they are doing, to inspire others and further grow the community of women who are working hands on in yards. ‘If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.’ Produced by Belinda Joslin and Annie Means - 2023 THANK YOU’S Annie Means has given her time and expertise to Women in Boatbuilding as part of her Fellowship studies into Gender Stereotypes in the Marine World. We are incredibly grateful to Annie for her contribution to WIBB and the content that she has created on our behalf. We think it’s amazing, and will help to further develop conversations about diversity in the boatbuilding world. Without the women who are forging their way in the industry, this would not have happened. We could not have been happier or more impressed with the answers to our questions – thank you for your honesty and wisdom. Many thanks also to some of the brilliant, supportive men in the industry: First Episode: Elizabeth Banks, Peter Collins, Sydney Fassam, Emma Mermaz-Rollet, Clementine Mollier, Otto Marples, Obioma Oji, Betzy Shell, Katie Hammond Second Episode: Katie Allan, Livvy Higman, Rachel Bland, Neil Capper, Tara Clark, Daisy Leach, Holly Latham, Tori Ablett Third Episode: Matt Lis, Jess Wright, Alison Taylor, Alan Staley, Gillen Knight, Ben Felts, Abbey Molyneux, Heike Lowenstein, Faye Thorley, Emily Stokes, Sacha Walker, Neil Capper, Alannah Barton, Helen Porter Annie’s fellowship grant has made this project possible – but without the welcoming hospitality of the boatbuilders, the tour would not have been possible – so we would like to thank Betzy Shell and Holly Latham for hosting Annie on the tour. A final and Huge THANK YOU to all the yards who have embraced and enabled this project: Sunseeker International Oyster Ship to Shore BlueTree Boat Builders Latham Traditional Boatworks SKB Sails Ltd Cockwells Abbey Boatbuilder Woodbridge Boatyard Spirit Yachts Raybel Charters Alan Staley Boatyard The Boatbuilding Academy, Lyme Regis The Elephant Boatyard After months of trying to find data about the boatbuilding workforce, we came to the conclusion that no-one has it! In conversations with the UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce team, it seems that they struggled to get meaningful data about who is actually building boats in the UK. The recent Heritage Craft Association and Wooden Boat Trade Association survey threw up some worrying trends - a lack of diversity and an ageing workforce. Anecdotally, this won't surprise anyone. The survey was brilliant, but only concerned with traditional boatbuilding.
We live in an age of data, and money is allocated and decisions are made when you can back up your reasoning with facts. So we've created the British Boatbuilders survey - for all boatyard trades. Its a simple Google form - at https://tinyurl.com/boatbuildersurvey so please complete it and share it with all boatyard friends and colleagues. It will be open for 6 weeks. We hope in that time we will have a decent response....but we're relying on word of mouth in the yards. Email me if you'd like it in an email or whats-app format to share. It went live yesterday, and 30 lovely people have already filled it in, which is amazing. The survey is anonymous and we will share all results openly. Its done for the benefit of all, not just about women. Email if you'd like to know more. [email protected] |
