High Hopes

Evesha Wadsworth, originally hailing from Lancashire, made a bold move to the buzzing streets of London nearly four years ago. There, amidst the glitz and glam of the real estate scene, she found herself rubbing shoulders with foreign royalty and big-shot CEOs.

Her journey into the male-dominated construction world began with a chance encounter while showing clients around a swanky apartment. Spotting two guys dangling outside the skyscraper, cleaning windows like it was no big deal, sparked something in her. “I couldn’t shake off the idea,” she says. She enrolled in various construction courses and eventually qualified as a rope access technician, which allowed her to perform maintenance on the nation’s tallest buildings.

Conquering her fear of heights was the first hurdle. “I was terrified, to be honest,” she laughs. “My first project was about 80 metres high, around 22 storeys. My heart was racing when I was preparing to head down the building. That was when I really thought, ‘What am I doing? Why am I doing this?’” But I had to face my fear. So, I took the plunge – quite literally!”

Transitioning from posh interiors to dizzying heights, Evesha now plays a crucial role in maintaining London’s towering landmarks. From fixing windows to patching up roofs, she’s become quite the high-rise handywoman. But breaking into this boys’ club wasn’t easy. “It was nerve-wracking when I first started on the course,” she admits. “I was struggling. I’m quite weak sometimes. I was fearful that I didn’t have enough strength compared to the other guys on the course. I’m only five foot three, and construction was completely new to me; I thought they wouldn’t take me seriously. But I didn’t give up. I kept going. I’ve got a bit of fire in me. As I worked, I continued to build my strength. You can be whoever you want to be with the guidance of others and the strength of your team. You just have to believe in yourself – however cheesy that sounds!”

Surprisingly, the construction world turned out to be a breath of fresh air compared to her previous gig in real estate. “As a woman, I actually found the construction industry more respectful than my previous work in real estate where there’s a lot of sexualisation. I found in construction, it’s nothing like that. Everyone’s really respectful,” she says with relief. “Part of my role is leading on projects and helping the young guys, and they’re all so polite. I’d love to be able to take away that stereotype of construction workers as sexist and objectifying.”

You might think this Burnley girl was always into construction work. “I’ve never built anything in my life,” she admits. “I actually started my career as an actor. I’ve done TV and film work – from Coronation Street to music videos. I also modelled a lot of 1950s-1990s retro-style photo shoots.”

Her journey from showbiz to steel beams might seem like a leap, but for Evesha, it’s all about balance. ” When I get a chance to model, it’s a chance to relax, get my makeup and hair done, and feel all the girl vibes!” she chuckles. “But there’s something exhilarating about hanging off skyscrapers, too. I still enjoy the modelling side of things because I get to bring out that feminine energy again.”

At 28, Evesha’s already had her fair share of thrills. “The most memorable experience as a rope access technician was fixing the roof of the O2 Arena.” She explains. The roof of the world-famous arena was blown off during Storm Eunice in 2022. “It was just after lockdown had ended, so everyone was excited to go to gigs, but it ended up closing again while the roof was repaired. It was great to get that fixed and help everyone get back to dancing.”

From fixing the roof of the O2 Arena to travelling the world with her partner, she doesn’t intend to stop anytime soon. “I’ve got big dreams,” she says with a sparkle in her eye. “I want to rule the rope access world, one skyscraper at a time!”

For any ladies eyeing a career in construction, Evesha has some straightforward advice: “Don’t sweat the stereotypes. Just go for it, girl!”

NorthernLife June/July/Aug 24