On Thursday, October 15th, the DALA team headed down to London to watch Davinia Potterton MRICS MCIOB, our wonderful Technical Lead at DALA Surveys, win the Excellence Award (Fire Consultant) at the Women in Fire Safety Awards 2026. We were thrilled to be there and could not be more proud of her hard work being recognised.
Davinia’s win is a big moment for us. But also a reminder of the importance of highlighting the incredibly talented women in construction, who work to keep our buildings safe.
An award judged on impact
Since 2021, the Women in Fire Safety Awards have celebrated women working at every level of the fire safety profession, and this year’s programme drew a record 254 entries.
The Excellence Award (Fire Consultant) recognises a consultant who has improved fire safety outcomes and raised professional standards, while helping others in the profession grow their competence.
That description fits Davinia closely. She leads our technical work at DALA Surveys, where she carries out PAS 9980 external wall assessments (FRAEWs) and shapes remediation strategy for the buildings we work on. Colleagues across the business lean on her judgement, and our younger surveyors learn from how she approaches every report.
What this means for the buildings we assess
For a Responsible Person, a FRAEW is never just paperwork. Its findings can decide whether a building needs remediation and whether residents can sell or remortgage their homes.
That is why the person carrying out the assessment matters. Davinia brings real rigour to every report she signs, and she explains her reasoning in plain terms that clients can act on. Where a building does need work, she makes sure the strategy is proportionate to the actual risk, not the worst case.
When her findings lead to remediation, DALA Projects can take the building from survey through to completed works, so clients keep one accountable partner throughout.
Why women in construction matter to building safety
Construction has long been one of the most male-dominated sectors in the UK. The gap shows most clearly in technical and site-based roles, the very roles that decide how safe a building is.
The picture is starting to shift. CITB figures show the number of women starting construction apprenticeships rose from 1,450 in 2018 to 2,410 in 2025, while completions almost tripled from 340 to 910. CITB is clear that retention is the next challenge: the industry has to keep these women and turn training into long-term careers.
We see this as a building safety issue as much as a workforce one. The Building Safety Act 2022 put competence at the centre of how higher-risk buildings are designed, built and managed. Our sector cannot meet that standard while it draws on only part of the available talent. In our experience, teams with different perspectives also ask better questions of a building, and better questions lead to safer outcomes.
Recognition matters too. Awards like WIFS give women in construction and fire safety visible role models, and they show people considering the profession what a successful career in it can look like.
Women in construction at DALA
Davinia is one of several women shaping how DALA works. Earlier this year, she joined our Head of Sales, Maddy Lawrence, and Facade Consultant Charlotte Howlings on the Beyond Four Walls podcast to talk honestly about building careers in the built environment. You can watch the full episode here.
Davinia’s win also caps a strong autumn for the group. Last month, DALA Projects was shortlisted for Major Works Project of the Year alongside our project partners, Archway Facade Management at the News on the Block Property Management Awards. For a business that launched at the start of 2026, recognition like this means a great deal.
If you want to build your career with a team that backs its people, find out more about growing with DALA.
Need an external wall assessment?
Davinia and the DALA Surveys team deliver PAS 9980 FRAEWs and external wall reviews for building owners, managing agents and Responsible Persons. Call us on 02381 551000 or get in touch here to talk through your building.
