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| Smart Works | |
|---|---|
| Name | Smart Works |
| Type | Charity |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Joanna Van Eeden |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Mission | Support women into employment through interview clothing and coaching |
Smart Works is a United Kingdom-based charity that provides interview clothing, styling and coaching to women returning to work. Combining wardrobe provision with one-to-one coaching, the organization operates in urban centers and partners with local agencies to support unemployed and low-income women seeking employment. Its model intersects with initiatives in workforce development, social welfare and fashion philanthropy.
The organization was founded in 1999 by Joanna Van Eeden amid collaborations with Shelter (charity), Oxfam, Centrepoint (charity), and local Citizens Advice Bureau branches to address barriers to re-entering the workforce. Early operations were influenced by models used by Career Gear in the United States and by volunteer networks associated with National Council for Voluntary Organisations, while engaging retail donations from chains such as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, and designers represented at London Fashion Week. Over the 2000s it expanded from a single London site to a network of locations inspired by programs run by Business in the Community and drew visibility through endorsements from public figures including patrons with ties to BBC programming and events at venues like Somerset House.
During the 2010s Smart Works established regional hubs in collaboration with civic institutions including Greater London Authority initiatives, municipal employment schemes in cities like Manchester and Bristol, and partnerships with devolved administrations such as Scottish Government agencies. High-profile advocacy connected the charity with national campaigns promoted by broadcasters and journalists from The Guardian, The Times, and presenters on ITV. The charity’s leadership engaged with policy stakeholders at forums convened by organisations like Joseph Rowntree Foundation and think tanks such as Resolution Foundation.
Smart Works’ mission centers on removing practical and psychological barriers to employment for women referred by professional partners such as Jobcentre Plus, Turn2us, and family support charities like Gingerbread (charity). Core services include appointment-based styling clinics, interview coaching influenced by techniques used in Career Development Institute frameworks, and provision of suiting and accessories donated by retailers and designers from New Look to luxury brands showcased at London Fashion Week. Complementary offerings have included CV reviews informed by standards from Institute of Career Guidance, mock interviews with volunteers drawn from corporations like PwC, KPMG, and Barclays, and follow-up mentoring linked to alumni networks resembling those of Prince's Trust programmes.
The service model emphasizes measurable outcomes such as interview attendance, job offer conversion and sustained employment periods tracked using methods compatible with evaluations by research bodies like University College London and London School of Economics. Training for volunteers integrates safeguarding and equalities guidance referenced by agencies including Equality and Human Rights Commission and adult learning resources aligned with Open University provision.
The charity operates under a board of trustees drawn from sectors including retail, human resources, law and media, with governance practices modeled on guidance from Charity Commission for England and Wales. Executive leadership typically includes a chief executive officer and directors of operations, fundraising and programmes, mirroring structures at comparable charities such as Shelter (charity) and Mind (charity). Local hubs are managed by site managers supported by volunteer coordinators and corporate secondees from partners like Accenture and Deloitte.
Compliance, safeguarding and impact monitoring report to the board and are subject to external audit by firms such as Grant Thornton or KPMG. Strategic partnerships are overseen by advisory councils that have included representatives from House of Commons stakeholder initiatives and cross-sector coalitions like Business in the Community.
Funding streams comprise corporate donations, retail clothing gifts from brands including Zara, H&M, and Ted Baker, philanthropic grants from foundations such as Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and individual giving promoted through media appearances on outlets like BBC Radio 4 and Sky News. Pro bono professional services are provided by law firms and consultancies such as Linklaters and McKinsey & Company, while fundraising events and celebrity endorsements have engaged public figures known from Royal Family patronage circuits and entertainment industry networks including actors and presenters featured in British Fashion Council events.
Government pilot funding and referrals have involved agencies such as Department for Work and Pensions and local authorities in partnerships resembling employability programmes run with support from European Social Fund projects before Brexit. Corporate volunteering and workplace giving schemes from banks, technology firms and retail groups supply mentoring and logistics support.
Independent evaluations have measured outcomes like increased interview attendance, job offer rates and employment sustainability, with academic assessments conducted by researchers at institutions like King's College London and University of Oxford. Impact reporting aligns with standards used by evaluators from Nesta and incorporates social return on investment (SROI) methodologies advocated by New Economics Foundation. Case studies publicised in outlets such as The Telegraph and Financial Times illustrate individual trajectories while aggregate metrics inform commissioning decisions made by local authorities and funders including Big Lottery Fund.
The charity contributes to dialogues on social mobility and gendered labour market barriers addressed in research by think tanks like Institute for Fiscal Studies and Resolution Foundation, and its model has been cited in comparative studies alongside international programmes like Dress for Success and Career Gear.
High-profile fundraising and awareness campaigns have included collaborative initiatives with British Fashion Council during London Fashion Week shows, celebrity-led drives promoted on BBC Children in Need and televised appeals on ITV. Annual flagship events have been hosted at venues such as Somerset House and The Royal Albert Hall with auction partners including houses represented at Christie's and Sotheby's. Campaigns featuring ambassadors from film and television, presenters from BBC and Channel 4, and fashion designers showcased the charity’s mission to corporate partners like Marks & Spencer and media outlets including Vogue (magazine).
Pop-up clinics and national outreach tours have been staged in partnership with employment initiatives of city councils in Leeds, Newcastle upon Tyne and Glasgow, and seasonal drives have worked with supermarkets and retail chains during back-to-work campaigns promoted by broadcasters such as BBC Breakfast.