Female bricklayer goes viral as she inspires women to join the industry

Darcie Richards, a 25-year-old bricklayer from Attleborough, has been inspiring women and young girls to take up a career in the construction industry.

Builder Darcie Richards works for her dads building company with her brothers. They are TikTok Stars appearing on the social network with their how to videos. (Image: Archant)

Ms Richards started labouring around two years ago after returning home from travelling and she loved it so much she asked her dad Ollie Richards, a bricklayer for 30 years, if he could show her the ropes.

Female-bricklayer-goes-viral-on-TikTok

Now Ms Richards has become a valued member of their family-run business - Richards Builders - and also a hit online after posting videos of her work, tutorials, and funny moments on-site with her dad and brothers, Louis and Jody, on TikTok.

Builder Darcie Richards works for her dads building company with her brothers. They are TikTok Stars appearing on the social network with their how to videos. L-R Louis, Jody, Dad Ollie, Darcie. (Image: Archant)

With one video reaching more than nine million views and 93,000 followers on the social media platform.

Ms Richards said: “For the last year my dad has been teaching me bricklaying and I love it.

“It was my brother's idea to start posting online so we started a TikTok account. They caught wind there was a female bricklayer on our team and our videos went crazy.

“People don’t expect somebody quite so small and young to be doing brick laying, especially a woman.

“They are mostly shocked but really impressed and a lot of people are getting in contact with me saying how much of an inspiration I am to them.

"One lady messaged me the other day and said her little girl wants to be a bricklayer after watching my videos.”

Builder Darcie Richards works for her dads building company with her brothers. They are TikTok Stars appearing on the social network with their how to videos. L-R Louis, Dad Ollie, Darcie and Jody. (Image: Archant)

After a huge response online, Ms Richards wants to encourage more women to join her and hit back at the stereotype that it is "a man's job".

“If you want to be a plasterer, electrician or carpenter, do it and don’t care what people think," she said.

“It’s a really rewarding job and it’s so satisfying to look at what you have built at the end of the day.

“And brick laying is something you can take with you anywhere in the world.

“I really would like to see more women in the industry. Everyone I have worked with have been so excepting and supportive. It’s refreshing for them to see a woman on-site.”

To watch Ms Richards videos on TikTok visit here, https://www.tiktok.com/@rattlekings.

Builder Darcie Richards works for her dads building company with her brothers. They are TikTok Stars appearing on the social network with their how to videos. (Image: Archant)