Manchester is such an amazing hub of all different types of incredible women and there are always inspiring stories to tell that it sometimes feels almost impossible to put a spotlight on every single one because they all deserve to be told. 

August Bank Holiday weekend is extremely important to some residents of Manchester - and those that come from afar - as it’s Manchester Pride Weekend! To coincide with this monumental event, we wanted to shine a light on an inspiring award-winning champion for all things LGBTQIA+ in the construction industry and beyond: Lucy Bradbury.

Pride is celebrated in February and May but it is not until the end of the summer it is celebrated in style here – though Lucy believes that pride needs to be a year-around celebration. 

Originally from Leeds, Lucy moved to Manchester eight years ago on an off chance when she was made redundant from her old job.

“The company I worked for offered me a transfer and would cover me for three months. I didn’t want to commute to Manchester every day. It was then I fell in love with the city.”

Since then, she has worked in construction and as part of her job teaches people in the industry about sustainability. She is especially passionate about social sustainability and helping the fight for equality, diversity, and inclusion. 

“I work with 60 of the biggest construction contractors in the UK. We work in collaboration and I help them make the industry more welcoming to the LGBTQA+ community. Also, I help with recruitment and retention.”

Lucy also carried on to say about the industry: “I think with construction, they don’t automatically think of equality, diversity, and inclusion. It had come so far though as when I went on site two years ago, I was the only woman there. It was such a culture shock but if anything, it actually spurred me to do something about that.”

According to People Management, statistics from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) indicate that the construction sector “is still only 15% women (2% on-site), 6% BAME workers, and 6% disabled workers, with figures on LGBT+ representation in the industry are too unreliable to share.”

As Lucy explains, an issue that is still occurring is unconscious biases and how we train ourselves not to have those.

Lucy stated though: “I’d much rather you just tell me what you’re really thinking, accidentally say something offensive and we can then have a conversation about it. I worry that other people shy away and not speak to me then not engage in any of the EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) stuff.”

Her work has not gone unnoticed and she has been nominated for and won a range of different awards. She says her proudest achievement was being shortlisted for ‘Inspirational Leader of the Year’ at the British LGBTQ+ Awards 2021. 

“I was in a state of shock for about three months because it is a corporate award!” 

Lucy is looking forward to the weekend’s celebrations after two years of not being able to do as much as before, with five events planned for Pride. 

“On Friday, we have a rainbow JCB and will be parked outside Manchester Arndale. We are encouraging families to come and take photos. Then in the evening, we have a networking event. Then Saturday, we have a breakfast planned followed by being in the parade. That will include 75 of us.” 

Manchester Pride weekend runs from Friday 26th August to Monday 29th August. Activities and events can be found here https://www.manchesterpride.com/events 

Interviewed and written by Fran Lever

Further Resources to support our City Girl LGBTQIA+ community

There are so many amazing resources out there to support members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as educate its allies. As a starting point, Relink has put together this infographic resource.

A full guide can be found on Stonewall’s website.