Bringing people together: the District Heating Divas
In 2019, a group fo 12 women working in the heat networks sector met for breakfast. It was the start of the District Heating Divas. We wanted to find women working in the industry, to create an informal network and help support each other in what can seem a very male-dominated space. We shared stories of being the only woman in the room at meetings, of being expected to make the coffee or take notes, of being less confident at speaking up, of feeling sidelined from workplace opportunities. We also shared laughter, ideas and optimism for how we might bring about some small amount of change.
We didn't realise what we had started.
Since then, the District Heating Divas has grown to be almost 2000 people strong. We have regional groups in the UK in London, Scotland, the North, the Midlands and the South West & Wales, as well as international groups in Brussels, Scandinavia, the Baltics, the DACH nations and India. Each year, more and more women join, whether to network, to ask for support, to gain experience, or to change how the industry operates. We've looked into parental leave and care policies, and conducted a survey into menopause support policies offered in the sector, to help benchmark what good practice looks like. We've reached out to school and college age women encouraging them to join the heat networks industry. And we've provided a space where everyone can have a voice: where new industry entrants can chair conference sessions, where a podcast goes from an idea to a reality, where men can act as allies, recognising the benefits to the whole industry of practices such as flexible working and compassionate care policies.
If you ask Rachael and I what we are most proud of in the 20+ years' of SE2's existence, I think we would both say 'The Divas'.
Find out more at www.districtheatingdivas.com