The Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) is shining a spotlight on three women working in the sector for International Women’s Day 2025.
The Association’s social media channels will focus on the success of women in the sector as part of the worldwide event on Saturday 8 March.
Joanne Gualda, Group Marketing Director at Bagnalls and recently appointed member of the PDA Management Board, is one of the women who will share her thoughts and experience of working in painting and decorating.
She said:
“I would never have thought back in 2000 that I would have had such a wonderful career in the painting and decorating sector, but here I still am 25 years later.
“At Bagnalls I get to work with the most amazing people who deliver quality painting projects across the whole of the UK from painting football stadia to decorating heritage properties.
“I would personally encourage any young woman to check out the career options available, there are so many diverse roles and there really are no barriers to what can be achieved if you work hard and enjoy what you do.”
As the UK’s largest trade body dedicated to the painting and decorating sector, the PDA represents thousands of operatives across the country and provides a range of support for apprentices and employers.
Apprentice at Spain Building and Maintenance, Holly Duffy, is also included in the International Women’s Day line-up. She said:
“Being a painting and decorating apprentice has been an amazing journey so far.
“I have entered competitions and even travelled abroad to do a humanitarian repaint of a primary school in Dol pri Ljubljana, Slovenia with the Painting and Decorating Association.
“I recently won Apprentice Paperhanger of the Year, The CEO Recognition and Achievement Award twice with the PDA and won the CDA construction apprentice of the year in 2023. All of these achievements have built my confidence and prove if you work hard at something you will see the results.”
The PDA has acted as a collective voice for painters and decorators since 1894, lobbying on their behalf at a national level and hosting a series of key events that showcase the skill and professionalism of painters and decorators throughout the year.
Jessica Walters – who runs her own painting and decorating business RESTORE and is a PDA Member – will also feature. She added:
“Painting and decorating is a physical craft where I can see change, create change, and be part of a positive journey for my clients, bringing homes back to life.
“I deeply admire the craftsmen I work alongside, because this work is hard graft but when done with love and perfection too, the result is real art and that’s what I am all about.”
