Former Army dog handler and female builder launches Wittering DIY training business
After a spell on the front line locating explosive devices in Afghanistan and success in the building trade, Stacy Deeley-Carter has branched out into teaching.
But convention-busting Stacy is not leading classes in English or maths, but do-it-yourself.
The former Army dog handler has launched DIY And Business Courses (DIYABC) in Wittering, a venture which she believes is unique to the area.
She has spent part of this year developing a unit at Easton Lodge into a workshop with 10 training bays, as well as a classroom.
Stacy will lead courses for the practical skills of tiling, plumbing, carpentry and electrics, but also business strategy, setting up websites and local marketing.
"I've had particular interest from individuals who have lost their jobs through the pandemic and who are looking to get into the building industry or looking to set up a small business of their own," she said.
"A lot of my clients as a female builder were single women or older men that were on their own or men that felt vulnerable.
"Having a big burly builder guy around the house can be quite scary for them so I can teach them the tools and the tricks of the trade to do things themselves."
Stacy grew up in Birmingham and after joining the Army at 19, moved to the Army's Defence Animal Centre, in Melton Mowbray, in 2011.
Her service included a seven-month tour in Afghanistan where she and her Belgian Shepherd located explosive devices and booby traps.
Since leaving the Army, she has has spent the last six years firmly in the minority as a woman in the building trade.
But dealing with stereotypes and preconceptions were not so daunting as what had come before.
"Being a female in such a male-dominated industry could be very difficult because I found a lot of men don't want to be taught by a woman," she explained.
"It doesn't matter whether you are male or female - this is a modern world and if you are capable it doesn't matter.
"I'm not a feminist, it's just me. I like doing DIY and learning how to fix things and I like teaching and helping people."
She moved to Wittering in 2014 with her soon-to-be wife where Stacy was eventually joined by her former canine colleague whose life she had saved while in Afghanistan.
In the building industry, Stacy (33) sub-contracted for building companies as a labourer before setting up My Female Builder in 2016.
Needing an extra pair of hands, she went into partnership two years later and formed Allied Building and Renovation, which hit six-figures revenue in their first year.
She decided to go solo again at the start of 2020 as The Female Bathroom Fitter before Covid changed the landscape for everyone and spawned DIYABC.
Courses range from one-day to a three-day carpentry course, with all details and booking at www.diyabc.co.uk
There are plans for family DIY days, parent and child DIY and couples DIY, and she is particularly keen to work with homeless charities in the long-term.
"Lockdown was there and as the world ground to a halt it was the moment for me to decide where I wanted to go," she added.
"I felt I had gone as far as I wanted to in the industry and had hit a ceiling so thought 'why not go full force with the dream and teach'?
"I love to help people."
