Meet 23-year-old Lucy Prescott, a gravedigger at Carlton Cemetery, defying stereotypes and forging her path in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Lucy is one of only a very small number of female gravediggers in the country, a tough job for anybody, working in difficult weather conditions, the health and safety risks and you also need to have plenty of empathy when dealing with families before and after a funeral.
Lucy is one of the remarkable women who shape our community and are being celebrated by Gedling Borough Council in the run up to International Women’s Day.
The gravedigger’s journey began when she rejected the confines of a typical office job. Instead, she sought adventure outdoors, drawn to the earth and the physical demands that come with this kind of role.
Her previous experience as a bricklayer provided a solid foundation, but an apprenticeship opportunity at the cemetery was a challenge that she knew she wanted to take and a chance to break down barriers.
For a year now, Lucy has been an integral part of the cemetery team, taking the physically demanding work in her stride and gaining respect and admiration from her colleagues.
She understands the delicate balance between strength and compassion as she tends to the final resting places of loved ones.
The 23-year-old says she is proud of her work ethic and achievements.
“No matter what the job is, don’t feel you’ll be pushed out because you’re a girl,” she said.
“If you want the job, go for it. Just because you’re female it doesn’t mean you can’t do a job that is normally done by men. You can do it”.
Councillor Kathryn Fox, portfolio holder for life chances and vulnerability described Lucy as an ‘impressive young woman’
She said: “Lucy is achieving her goals in a traditionally male driven environment. I feel very proud that Gedling Borough Council is a place where so many strong women are making such a positive impact on the lives of our residents
“For Lucy and all the brilliant women in Gedling, we celebrate progress, resilience, and the power of determination.Lucy’s story reminds us that no job is off limits, regardless of tradition or expectation.”
International Women’s Day takes place on Friday, March 8 and Gedling Borough Council will be celebrating the great women who live and work in the borough, throughout the day with a number of events and social media posts, which you can find out about at www.gedling.gov.uk/events
