Smart Works Birmingham celebrated its second birthday in central Birmingham last week.
Held at Opus Restaurant and sponsored by LoveBrum, Smart Works celebrated with over 80 professionals, keen to learn more and find out how to get involved. The event allowed the charity to widen their network and awareness within the corporate world, thus increasing chances of helping more and more women thanks to generous donations of both time, clothes and money.
Philippa Pickavance, Chairwoman and Trustee of Smart Works Birmingham, and Kate Stephens, CEO of Smart Works headquarters, based in London, highlighted the effective work the charity has done in the region, as well as nationwide.
The organisation initially set up in Northfield, Birmingham in 2015 and relocated to a more central location in Digbeth this summer. Through coaching and styling services, the Birmingham branch of the charity has helped around 600 women to date. Nationally the charity has seen 15,000 women since it was established 5 years ago and has a 62% success rate on average of a client getting their job following the help given by the charity.
Manager Ann Powell and the 50 volunteers who deliver the service are working hard to reach more women from across the region by increasing awareness with job centres and other charities that refer their clients.
Philippa Pickavance said: “We are in a great position to move forward in our new location just below Selfridges, but as well as the volunteer help and clothes donations, much of which we get new from retailers, we now need to focus on raising more money to sustain the running of the service centre. We look forward to building on the last two years efforts and helping more and more women to realise and achieve their potential.”
All of Smart Works service delivery is provided by a team of highly skilled, fully-trained volunteers and all stock is donated through other professional, working women or comes direct from the charities retail partners such as Hobbs, Whistles and Evans.
Any one interested in making Smart Works Birmingham their charity this year should contact Philippa Pickavance via the manager Ann Powell. Ann should also be contacted to make donations and volunteer applications.
Ann Powell, Manager of Smart Works Birmingham, birmingham@smartworks.org.uk, 0121 643 8109