Supplying Timber Issue 9 0 - Autumn 2025 - Flipbook - Page 28
———— WOMEN IN TIMBER ————
BUILDING CONNECTIONS
FOR WOMEN IN TIMBER
Women from across the timber industry came together for the
inaugural Women in Timber Conference, enjoying a day of
learning, networking and empowerment.
T
additional £1,000 to TTBS on
the day.
“This wasn’t just an event – it’s
the start of a movement,” said
Karen Sussex, TDUK’s Head of
Operations.
THE MARKET
Supporting people
The 昀椀rst speech was delivered
by Christella Golby, General
Manager of TTBS, the UK’s
only charity dedicated solely
to supporting people in the
timber trade. Christella shared
the charity’s long history,
having been founded in 1897,
and explained its wide-ranging
support, from quarterly grants
to helping with essential costs
such as funeral expenses,
utility bills, and even household
appliances for those in need.
SUPPLYING TIMBER
28
↑
he 昀椀rst-ever
Women in Timber
Conference marked
a milestone for the
UK’s timber industry, creating
a space for more than 120
women from across the supply
chain to gather.
The conference brought
together timber professionals
at every stage of their careers,
from those new to the sector to
industry leaders, including many
for whom this was their 昀椀rst-ever
industry event.
Women in Timber was born
from a simple idea by Laura
Qualters, TDUK’s Membership
Development Manager: to
create a welcoming forum where
women in a traditionally maledominated sector could meet,
share stories, and collaborate.
She explained: “Women in
Timber started as a simple
idea: to create a space where
women in our industry could
connect, learn and feel seen.
The energy in that room was
amazing."
The day combined powerful
keynote speeches and panel
discussions with opportunities
for one-to-one conversations,
as well as a ra昀툀e that raised
over £1,700 for the Timber
Trades’ Benevolent Society
(TTBS). The Women in Timber
Conference also donated an
Below left: Michelle
Buckland, Chief
Commercial O昀케cer
at Miro Forestry.
Below right: Laura
Qualters, TDUK's
Membership
Development
Manager.
AUTUMN 2025
She outlined TTBS’s more
recent initiatives, including a
partnership with MHFA to deliver
Mental Health First Aid training,
as well as collaborations with
other organisations to support
employment and 昀椀nancial
counselling.
Christella’s talk highlighted
the human side of the timber
industry – the workers and
their families who form the
foundation of the industry –
and underscored how events
can play a role in keeping that
community strong.
Building personal brands
LinkedIn trainer Judy Parsons
brought energy and humour to
her interactive session on using
LinkedIn as a personal branding
