In South Wales, the Community Impact Initiative (The Cii) is transforming lives through hands-on construction projects. By renovating vacant homes with the help of local participants, The Cii creates opportunities for personal growth, skill-building, and community regeneration. As part of WISERD’s Building Social Value and Fair Work in Construction project, The Cii stands out as a powerful example of how engaging people through construction can be a tool for social change.
The Cii is a non-profit organisation that purchases vacant homes and renovates them with the help of participants. Participants learn practical construction skills while renovating properties and improving communities.
The Cii is not a construction training provider. Instead, it uses practical renovation work as a vehicle for personal development. Participants gain hands-on experience while receiving tailored support to build confidence, develop life skills, and improve well-being.
Participants, many of whom face barriers such as mental ill health, literacy challenges, low confidence, or limited qualifications, learn practical skills through hands-on experience while receiving tailored support to help them move forward in life.
Engaging women in construction is a difficult challenge across the UK. Despite growing awareness and targeted efforts, the construction industry can still be perceived as male-dominated, deterring women from getting involved.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), women are significantly underrepresented in construction trades across the UK. In fact, the numbers are so low in many roles, such as plumbing, bricklaying and carpentry, that the ONS suppresses the data to protect individual privacy.
Recognising these barriers at a local level, staff at The Cii found that mixed-gender projects could feel intimidating for some women. In response, they launched women-only projects to create spaces for these women to feel safer and more supported.
The response to the women-only projects was really positive. Women joined the projects from a variety of backgrounds, referred by community organisations, job centres and through social media. The projects provided a safe space where women could learn without judgment, build friendships and gain confidence in completing practical construction activities.
For many women, the goal isn’t necessarily a career in construction. Instead, they want to learn how to maintain their own home and become more self-reliant. That said, some participants have gone on to pursue careers in construction. Following one project, two women secured employment: one as a plumber and the other as a labourer.
The Cii’s women-only projects shine a light on the systemic barriers that women can face in male-dominated industries. One participant had tried to enrol on a painting and decorating course at a local college, but was discouraged by college staff, highlighting the kinds of discouragement and gender bias women can face when they try to acquire practical skills or take part in vocational education. This underscores the importance of the Cii’s women-only projects in creating spaces where women can learn practical construction skills without judgment.
The Cii’s work shows what creating social value can look like in practice. They create pathways for people to gain skills, confidence and community. Their projects also contribute to environmental sustainability by bringing empty properties back into use. The Cii’s women-only projects show how social value can be built from the ground up, through trust, practical support, and inclusive spaces.
If you’re involved in a project that’s making a difference—or know one that should be highlighted—I’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch via email at BridgemanJ1@cardiff.ac.uk to share your story, make a connection, or explore potential collaboration opportunities.
All image credits: Ellen McCubbin, Cii