While it could be the name of a ‘70s punk band just as much as a ball valve, the Stopcocks Women Plumbers is a national plumbing organization in the United Kingdom.

Hattie Hasan founded Stopcocks Woman Plumber in 1990 because, despite her qualifications, aptitude and skills, she was unable to get a job as a plumber. In 2011, she launched Stopcocks Women Plumbers to help other women become plumbers and to enable customers to find a woman plumber in their area. Last March, the organization launched a national franchise.

The group’s first-ever Women Installers Together Conference will be held on Sept. 13 in London to celebrate the achievements and skills of the UK's female plumbing and heating installers. With women accounting for just 1 percent of all UK plumbers and just one in 300 gas engineers, the national conference hopes to further promote the opportunities for women within the plumbing and heating industry.

”Women plumbers are role models by default, and by being self employed they become visible to girls and women who never even considered plumbing as a career,” Hasan said.

The conference will include the following:

A session on dealing with people/customers in difficult situations.

• The importance of managing how others see you.
• “Making it in a Man's World,” delivered by Hasan.

A special guest speaker will also talk about resilience, followed by an opportunity for installers to meet sponsoring manufacturers and discuss products and solutions.

You can find out more about the organization and conference here.