Thursday 15th May 2014
London’s best kept secret – ‘The Ladies Bridge’ – gives school
students a lesson in construction
Unique school project to help demonstrate careers in construction and engineering
The challenges of building London’s longest bridge during World War II is the focus of a
unique school project, now in its fourth successful year. Few people know that ‘The Ladies
Bridge’ (Waterloo Bridge), was constructed by a workforce that was 70% female, a fact that
appears to have been written out of official history. Now, nearly 70 years after its officlal
opening, the bridge will be used by a team of volunteers led by the Association of Women in
Property (WiP), to help demonstrate to students the opportunities available today for
careers in engineering, construction and the built environment.
On 22 May, Year 7 students (age 11/12) from the Lilian Baylis Technology School, Lambeth,
will visit ‘The Ladies Bridge’, to see and hear about the challenges of building a bridge across
the Thames, from volunteers from the construction and property sector. They will then
return to school for a quiz, a documentary film about the hidden history of Waterloo Bridge
and insights from a panel of women about working lives in in engineering, architecture and
transport – with plenty of opportunity to ask questions.
The project will give them an insight not only into the considerable scale of this particular
bridge building job but also life during World War II, which they are studying as part of the
national curriculum. They will learn how things have changed today, using current work on
Waterloo Bridge as an example and will consider construction and engineering in the future.
Sandi Rhys Jones, representing WiP, said:
“It is really important to help bring to life for young people the positive impact that
construction and engineering have on all of us, as they are so often taken for granted.
“What better way to do this than show how a group of women built what is really one of
London’s best kept secrets, in an era when it was believed women really weren’t supposed
to do that kind of thing! By bringing alive stories from yesterday, together with role models
of today, we hope these young people will get some new ideas for their future. It proves
that there are no boundaries. The opportunities today are many and varied, whether you’re
male or female.”
The event is part of a continuing partnership between WiP and Lilian Baylis Technology
School where volunteers from the property and construction industry provide inspiration to
students and give them career guidance and support.
A number of employers are supporting the project by putting forward volunteers – young
professional women working in engineering and construction - to assist on the day, namely:Barratt Homes
Berkeley Homes
Berwin Leighton Paisner
Cathy Stewart Associates
Charles Russell
City of London Corporation
Coutts
Department of Transport
DCLG
Formation Architects
Hardwicke
Hogan Lovells
Howard Kennedy Fsi
Indigo Planning
Jobson James
Kingston University
London Borough of Hillingdon
Norton Rose Fulbright
Savills
Towergate Insurance
ENDS
Media Enquiries:
Sue Maguire
Milestone PR Ltd
07739 403952
sue.maguire@milestonepr.co.uk