30/09/2026
🔨 WHO ARE NAIL IT DIY CIC?
👋 Who are you?
We're Justine and Sarah. We met at the school gates when our children were at primary school. BFFs 💛
💼 What did you do before Nail It?
We both still do those things! Sarah is a qualified electrician working in and around Reading and Justine organises hen parties – surprisingly, organising Nail It is remarkably similar... just with a little less naked life drawing and glitter. ✨
🔨 So what do you actually teach?
DIY One is all about building confidence with tools – getting properly comfortable with your drill, understanding drill bits and fixings, and having a go with other power tools including jigsaws, multi-tools and chop saws.
🏠 Home Maintenance tackles those everyday jobs that keep a home running – basic electrics and plumbing, bleeding radiators, changing door handles, adjusting kitchen cupboards, filling and repairing walls, using sealant and more.
🧱 Tiling Basics takes complete beginners through the essentials of planning, cutting, laying and grouting tiles, with plenty of hands-on practice.
And we're working on adding even more practical skills and workshops to the mix.
📅 How long have you been doing this?
We're coming to the end of our first year of trading – and genuinely had no idea Nail It would take off as quickly as it has.
😊 What's it like coming to a Nail It session?
Not AT ALL scary. Relaxed, friendly and properly hands-on. You don't need any experience and you can ask absolutely anything.
♀️ Why are your workshops for women?
Women are still hugely underrepresented in the trades, and lots of women simply haven't had the same opportunities to learn practical skills. We wanted to create a space where women could learn, ask questions and have a go without feeling intimidated or out of place.
💛 What does the CIC bit mean?
Nail It is a Community Interest Company. We're a business – our workshops generate income and we get paid for the work we do – but we're also set up to create a benefit for our community.
Most of our workshops are paid-for sessions, but a really important part of what we want to do is secure funding that enables us to offer free or heavily subsidised sessions to women who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend.
We've recently finished delivering funded workshops with Reading Borough Council and have secured significant funding for more community sessions in Wokingham next year. We want that side of Nail It to grow alongside the paid workshops that keep the business running.
🚀 What do you want to do next?
We don't have it all mapped out – Nail It has grown much faster than we expected! We have lots of ideas though. We want to expand both the range of workshops and our geographical reach, as well as investing some of our time next year in creating opportunities for girls and young women to learn these skills too.
💛 What's the best bit?
Seeing somebody arrive convinced they can't do something and leave knowing they absolutely can. And the pictures in our private members' group of jobs people have tackled after attending a session.
😂 And the worst?
THE LUGGING.
We're a pop-up, which means everything comes with us. Tools, timber, workbenches, concrete blocks, sinks, a large cupboard, boxes and boxes and boxes.
If you've ever stayed behind and helped us stack chairs, we love you more than you know.
🔨 So that's us.
We're still only a year in, there are lots of exciting conversations happening and plenty we'd like to try. Hopefully there'll be a few more women joining the Nail It community along the way. 💛
