Hattie Hasan

"They say timing is everything and the revolution in accessible technology helped massively with building the Stopcocks network. I simply couldn’t have accomplished what I’ve done without the revolution in technology making it happen. Each new thing I want to do has to wait till the tech catches up and allows us to do it."

"But being who I am, I set about finding out and taking action. That set me off on a road to build a national network of women plumbers and through that make an impact on water sustainability. If I’d realised the enormity of that vision, I may never have started out on the journey!"

"At the same time I continue to work towards this huge vision of a network of women plumbers changing the world. I’m making mistakes, getting things right and continuing to move towards the big goals"

"Being able to help other women make their dreams come true is simply amazing and the best inspiration. One of our loyal plumbers says she doesn’t know what would have happened to her if she hadn’t joined us. She says she could have been ‘in the gutter’ but instead she has a thriving business, healthy children and has just got married. She is happy and content for the first time in her life."

"Have patience, because it may take a long time. Have determination because you will encounter lots of obstacles. Have compassion for yourself when things go wrong and when they do, find the advantages of a change in direction."

"It’s an awkward balance to follow your gut instincts and also bring others in. If the vision is big you can’t do it alone, but if it’s a unique vision, other people try to push their own expectations and desires onto it. It’s good to have the right advisers and advocates."

"I became disillusioned with teaching and wanted to leave, I looked back at my dream subjects and combined them with my great respect, love and affinity with water (my star sign Scorpio is a water sign) so it had to be plumbing."

"We are women, but a lot of work still needs to be done to raise awareness that women plumbers exist, and to end the isolation female plumbers feel in their locations often not knowing how many of us there actually are."

"I left teaching because the changes in the education system meant I was putting more energy into admin than into teaching children."

"Fixing things, being a hero, and my passion for water all took me towards plumbing."

"I wonder why I do this, it isn’t easy; women in the skilled trades in construction represent less than one percent of all trades workers and there is massive opposition (and inertia) within the industry itself. There is no funding support and yet there is a popular belief that we must be a charity in receipt of funding (and therefore, a wage) if we’re providing this service."

"There’s a persistent belief that women shouldn’t get paid a decent wage for their work and expertise, especially when their client group is other women. We dispute this. We do not believe that women are “charity cases.” We all deserve to invest in our own futures and to receive a decent income."

"Working for yourself is flexible, you work your own hours, it's a great career and it is a very good earner."

"I feel I am an ordinary person and if ordinary people can get recognised for the work they do, it is fantastic."

"The thing about plumbing is that it’s all about having control."

"Plumbing is lazy."