Proving that women should not be put off from entering into traditionally male-dominated industries, one Aylesbury woman has become the first licensee of a UK-wide brand which provides qualified female plumbers.

Gemma Lawrence-Davis runs Pink Plumbers across Aylesbury and Thame and carries out exactly the same sort of work as male plumbers, she confirmed to Thame Today, “I’m punctual and people feel comfortable with me entering their house. I can do everything from fixing toilets to installing radiators."

Stocklake-based Gemma became interested in the industry after she helped a relative to fit a new bathroom, and studied for four years to qualify as a plumber. “I could never see myself sitting in an office all day, I like doing different things and meeting people. I’m practically minded so it suits me. I have to think out of the box and problem solve.

“It’s not a standard day. One day I’m working on taps, the next I’ll be installing central heating,” confirmed Gemma. She specialises in jobs such as taps, ball valves and stopcocks, as well as fitting washing machines and dishwashers, fixing pipework or silicone seals around sinks and sorting out sink replacements and cylinders, tanks and immersions.

A recent report that was published by Pink Plumbers, surveying 1,000 households, revealed that many British people prefer to be offered the choice of having either a male or a female tradesperson to come and quote on a job. Indeed, the vast majority of female customers reported that they would choose a woman to fix their plumbing problem, or at least would like to have the choice of a male or female when it came to selecting a tradesperson.

Founder of Pink Plumbers, Jo Lawrence, told the publication: “The results confirm that the UK’s attitude to women in trade is changing. It shows that women can break down the barriers to this male dominated profession. I set up Pink Plumbers to help other women like Gemma succeed in business and to give home owners a real choice.”

Ms Lawrence has even written a book offering advice to other trainee plumbers, or those considering entering into the sector, called Hints and Tips for the Practical Plumber.