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Sarra Hawes
Sarra joined Walter Llewellyn & Sons Ltd in 1988 as a Management Trainee before moving on to work as a Site Engineer/Manager and Tenant Liaison Officer alongside starting a family in 1999. She then moved to David Johns Associates as a Surveyor/Office Assistant until 2005.
Following a family career break, Sarra founded Hawes Building Limited, alongside her husband Bruce Hawes in April 2013. At Hawes, Sarra has the responsibility of overseeing financial matters, Business Development, Staff Training, and contract co-ordination.
Sarra is passionate about encouraging young women and men into construction and frequently goes into schools and colleges to raise awareness of the opportunities available to them. She is a STEM ambassador and an Enterprise Advisor with a local SEND school in Eastbourne.
4 years ago, Sarra joined the committee of the Constructing Excellence Sussex Club and a year later became the Chairperson.
Breaking Barriers in Construction: A Personal Journey
Gone are the days where women feel the need to “burn their bras” to have an equal voice particularly in the construction industry. Personally, I’ve never burned mine and I’ve done quite well!
When I embarked on my career in 1988 as a Management Trainee at Walter Llewellyn & Sons, the landscape was vastly different. Determined to break the mould, I quickly rose to become their first-ever female site manager. Fast forward to 2013, when my husband Bruce and I co-founded Hawes Construction, having met while working at Llewellyns.
As the chair of the Constructing Excellence Sussex Club (CESC) for several years, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with some exceptional women in the industry. From architects and surveyors to management trainees and company directors, these women passionately discuss a variety of industry topics at our monthly events. I encourage you to follow the CESC LinkedIn page for details on our upcoming November Quiz Night!
Mark your calendars for the Women in Construction Festive Event on 28th November at the offices of ECE Architecture in Worthing –this year’s theme is Creativity and Innovation – Thinking Skills for the Future of Work.
If you are as fascinated by Brighton’s stunning Royal Pavilion as I am then get yourself a ticket to the “Restoring the Royal Pavilion” event run by the West Pier Trust – this is an evening event on 28th November.
You might also be familiar with the Southern Wellness Action Group – SWAG – which was set up to help break the stigma when dealing with mental health in the construction industry – where suicide rates are alarmingly high. As a committee member, I’m excited about our festive fundraising lunch on 29th November at The Walrus in Ship Street, Brighton. Please join us for this extremely important cause. This is open to anyone within the construction industry and it really would be lovely to see some of you there!
Meanwhile the team at Meshwork are putting on some fascinating webinars on Retrofit-at-Scale: Upgrading our homes to meet UK climate targets and Innovating with nature: increasing the use of sustainable building materials.
Also on the 29th November The Arts Society of Brighton & Hove is hosting a study day on the “The Brilliance of British Architecture” at the Brighthelm Centre in North Road – book your place via their website – sounds like one not to be missed!
Lastly, don’t miss the Sussex Heritage Trust’s Festive Evening with Drinks and Canapés at Graylingwell Chapel on 14th November, featuring live jazz. This event, in collaboration with the Chichester Community Development Trust, promises to be a delightful evening.
With plenty of festive events in November Christmas is definitely coming early this year!
