Kynleigh Parker hasn’t allowed a series of major health challenges to stand in her way. The 25-year-old trainee assistant site manager for construction company Lovell Partnerships, has just won an Apprenticeships Norfolk Award. Here she shares her extraordinary story
What has led you to becoming a trainee assistant site manager with Lovell? What were you doing before?
I was studying a Level 3 fashion and textiles course at West Suffolk College, in which I was focusing on interior design. Whilst at college, I worked for a cleaning company who were cleaning new build homes. I was introduced to site work and building sites through this job, and I quickly took an interest from observing site managers in their working environment. In particular, I was very inspired by seeing a female site manager.
I contacted Lovell Partnerships and asked if they would allow me to do a day’s work experience, to see what it’s like to work alongside site managers, which I was able to do. Not long after this, I saw an opportunity for a cleaning role at Lovell during the COVID 19 pandemic. I saw this as an opportunity to get my foot in the door, applied and was successful! Whilst in this role, I took on much more responsibility outside of my day-to-day tasks, to build my knowledge in construction. I also joined the Women into Construction programme, which was really helpful and allowed me to speak with and learn from other women in the industry.
One and a half years later, a position finally came up for a Trainee Assistant Site Manager. I couldn’t wait to apply and was thrilled to hear that I got the job!
What challenges have you had to overcome to get to this point?
Since starting my role as a Trainee Assistant Site Manager, I have had to overcome some crazy times in my life personally. In July 2022, I had a surgery to diagnose stage 4 endometriosis, which meant my fertility was at risk. That same year, in October, I broke my back, and my independence was stripped from me. I was really lucky to recover from this, and I feel so grateful.
In June 2023 I made a decision to freeze my eggs. It felt like a wise decision to somewhat protect my future. Together with my partner, through a series of fundraising activities, we raised £2,485 for the procedure which cost £7,000. The procedure to freeze my eggs took place in October 2023.
In January 2024, I had a large surgery to remove my endometriosis which involved removing a large part of my bowel. I’m recovering well, and the Apprenticeships Norfolk Award ceremony was a real driver for me on my road to recovery.
How has the Women into Construction Programme helped you?
Despite being in a global pandemic at the time, Women into Construction continued to offer support to women and to the industry. I took part in calls via Teams which enabled me to speak to other women wanting to get into the industry, as well as to men and women who were already in the industry about how they got into their job roles.
I was fortunate enough to already be working on a construction site, so I didn’t take part in one of the work placements which were offered but I know that the work placements run by Women into Construction have helped lots of women in securing their dream roles in construction.
What did it mean to win the Achievement in Exceptional Circumstances Norfolk Apprenticeship award last week?
Receiving the award was an amazing feeling, and it made me take a moment to feel proud of how far I have come over the last couple of years. Hopefully I will inspire others and fill them with hope and positivity.
What message do you have for anyone else facing health challenges, particularly at the start of their career?
Don’t give up! If you surround yourself with supportive people both at home and at work, and stay focused on the positives, you can overcome your challenges and succeed in whatever it is that you want to.
I have this quote that I love. “One day you’ll tell your story of how you overcame what you went through, and it will become someone else’s survival guide.”
I hope that my story can help others who may be facing the same health challenges as I have been battling. Unfortunately, I don’t think that female health is spoken about enough, especially in the construction industry. I would love to share my story with other women, and hope that it may help other women in the future. I have an Instagram account @little_miss_endo and a YouTube account @LittleMissEndoQueen where I share some of my journey in the hope to inspire others to not give up fighting for their body.
Kynleigh won the Achievement in Exceptional Circumstances Award in the Apprenticeships Norfolk Awards earlier this month. Visit apprenticeshipsnorfolk.org, Lovell Partnerships, @little_miss_endo – Instagram and LittleMissEndo – YouTube.
Featured image of Kynleigh Parker taken at the Apprenticeship Norfolk Awards. All images supplied.
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