Publication Date: 20-02-2025 09:00
Apprentice championing positive change for female workers is highly commended in Bellway’s annual awards
A young woman who has made a construction site’s facilities more welcoming for female workers has been highly commended in Bellway’s Apprentice of the Year Awards 2025.
Charlotte Benson, who joined the national housebuilder’s Kent division as a trainee quantity surveyor in September 2024, is just one of three apprentices from across the country to be honoured in this year’s awards.
The 19-year-old, from Gravesend, made the caring gesture while out on site at the Blenheim Green development in Kings Hill. And it led to her joining Bellway’s Balance Network, where she plays an important role alongside other volunteers in championing equality and diversity in the workplace with a focus on gender.
Charlotte said: “I donated feminine hygiene products, faux plants and put up a sign with positive affirmations to make the facilities that little bit more welcoming for any female who uses the cloakroom on site. This may seem a silly small difference but it has been an impactful change which has helped female workers to feel recognised as women on site.
“I would like to thank the Assistant Site Manager Vanessa Hollamby for helping me carry this out. After I had done this, I was told about the Balance Network and couldn’t wait to get involved.
“The Balance Network is a brilliant company-wide initiative which seeks to make practical changes to improve the workplace. We have an online meeting every month and it is fantastic to be able to hear and potentially apply people’s input.
“I came into the construction industry to find a rewarding career in a forward-thinking industry and I feel lucky to have found this at Bellway. I aim to absorb as much knowledge as I can and hope that I can make a difference in helping to change perceptions of construction as a male-dominated industry.”
Charlotte is on a four-year apprenticeship, working towards a degree in quantity surveying (construction). She is based in the Bellway Kent head office in West Malling four days a week, with Friday as her study day when she connects online with the team at Northumbria University for her degree course.
"Degree apprenticeships are so rewarding as I am gaining experience while working towards a degree. I like the combination of having the practical aspect at work and the theory side of things at university. I’d recommend this route to any young woman questioning their next steps after finishing sixth form.
“I feel lucky to be shadowing Dan Hibberd, a senior quantity surveyor, who is working on three sites in Kent, including Blenheim Green. As my mentor, he is approachable and patient and told me that there was no such thing as a silly question, which for an apprentice is a comforting thing to hear.
“His support and the understanding from everyone has been great. I know I can ask anyone in the office for help and they would be willing to assist. It is early days for me here but I am learning new skills every day and each day is different and exciting.”
Steve Munns, Commercial Manager at Bellway Kent, said: “Congratulations to Charlotte for receiving this richly-deserved recognition in our Apprentice of the Year Awards. Having joined the Kent division in September through the apprentice recruitment process, with little or no experience of the discipline, she has grasped the role of Apprentice Quantity Surveyor exceptionally well and looks to have a bright future.
“Charlotte’s positive approach and can-do attitude demonstrate her keenness and ability to learn, to take on tasks and to understand what is required of her. We have enrolled her at Northumbia University on a Quantity Surveying (Construction) degree course on a remote learning basis, and the initial feedback from her is that she is very much enjoying her studies.
“We are very impressed with Charlotte’s efforts to date within the quantity surveying team, her interaction with Group HR team on projects and her participation in the Balance Network initiative. We will support and mentor her along her apprenticeship to empower her to take the next step in her career development.”
For more information about Bellway’s apprenticeship programme, visit: https://www.bellwaycareers.co.uk/our-programmes/apprenticeship-programme.
