You can now make a referral to Smart Works using an online form

Making a referral is simple and hassle-free. With our new online form, referring to Smart Works is now quicker than ever, taking only a few minutes to complete.

Within one working day, Smart Works will reach out to the woman you have referred, ensuring that she receives the necessary support at a crucial time.

Make a referral
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Location: Scotland
Date: July 6, 2023
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Everyday Shopping With easyfundraising image
Do you shop online with retailers such as Tesco, eBay, M&S, Boots, John Lewis, and everything in between? Then we have some exciting news!
We’re now registered with easyfundraising, the UK’s biggest charity shopping fundraising website which allows you to raise free donations for Smart Works Scotland while you’re shopping at no extra cost to you!
Simply sign up here, or via the easyfundraising app, and pick Smart Works Scotland as the charity you’d like to donate to:
Then, when you’re ready to shop:
  1. Go to the easyfundraising website, pick the retailer you’re buying from (there are over 7,000 listed) and it will take you to that retailer’s website.
  2. From there, shop as normal and they will give a free donation to Smart Works Scotland as a thank you for shopping with them.
It really is as simple as that, you’ll be helping fund our vital service supporting women back into employment, and the best part is, it won’t cost you a penny extra!
May 18, 2023

Supporting More Women with The ScottishPower Foundation

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July 25, 2023

Run For Smart Works Scotland

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Location: Scotland
Date: February 15, 2023
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The Smart Works Female Unemployment Index image

At Smart Works we passionately believe that female workers are one of the greatest assets we have in our economy. However, too often our clients come to us after months and years of trying to secure work without success and lacking confidence.

The Smart Works Female Unemployment Index is a report designed to highlight the experiences our clients face when looking for work. It covers all aspects from experiencing unemployment, experience of the interview process and the meaning of having a job.

1 in 4 unemployed women revealed they have been out of work for over three years. The average time spent applying for jobs is 23 hours a week and more than 1 in 10 women have applied for over 50 roles.

When they do make it to interview women had an Overall Confidence Score of 68 (with 100 being positive about succeeding in interviews, 50 being neutral and 0 being negative).  They felt least positively about employers’ perceptions of them being a woman, with an Interview Confidence Score of 61, and being a parent, with a score of 55.

In a three-month period almost 900 women shared their experience of being unemployed with us to help create this report. During this time there has been one recurring theme; that despite the barriers faced our clients remain determined to find employment with 23% citing their main driver for getting a job was to find a sense of purpose and identity.

The process of securing a job is increasingly complex but by researching and publishing data on the issues facing unemployed women, we can help pave the way for progress.

By giving a voice to unemployed women, we can help unlock the female workforce.

You can read the full report here:

February 14, 2023

Cycle for Smart Works Signs Ups are Open!

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May 18, 2023

Supporting More Women with The ScottishPower Foundation

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Location: Scotland
Date: November 30, 2022
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One Donation, Twice The Impact with The Big Give. image

At a time of exceptional need, we want to grow our new service in Glasgow and dramatically increase the number of women we support in the city and surrounding areas with high-quality interview clothing and one-to-one coaching. By donating through the Big Give you can make this happen.

Between today (29 November) and midday on 6th December, all donations made through the Big Give platform will be doubled, making a huge difference for our clients and our service.

One donation, twice the impact.

To donate, click here:

https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900002O6TL4AAN

November 8, 2022

Sustainable Fashion Brand, This is Unfolded Support Smart Works Scotland

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February 14, 2023

Cycle for Smart Works Signs Ups are Open!

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Location: Scotland
Date: September 22, 2022
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Say Hello to Smart Works Scotland! image
Today’s the day!
We’re delighted to announce that as of today, we’ll be changing our name to Smart Works Scotland.
When we opened our doors as Smart Works Edinburgh back in 2014, serving clients in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas, we had a vision that one day, our service would be available to any unemployed woman in Scotland who needed our help.
With the launch of our virtual service during the pandemic, and the upcoming opening of our brand-new centre in Glasgow in October, we are making moves towards that dream. We can now support women in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the surrounding areas and our extended reach is reflected in our new name – Smart Works Scotland.
Our new contact details can be found here on our updated Smart Works Scotland website.
We’re counting down the days until our Glasgow centre opens and we’ve been overwhelmed by the incredible enthusiasm and support we’ve received so far. Thank you so much and we’ll keep you posted on our progress over the coming weeks!
July 27, 2022

Smart Works is Coming to Glasgow!

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November 8, 2022

Sustainable Fashion Brand, This is Unfolded Support Smart Works Scotland

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Location: Scotland
Date: July 27, 2022
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Smart Works is Coming to Glasgow! image

Smart Works is coming to Glasgow!

Our mission has always been that any unemployed woman in need is able to find her way to Smart Works. Guided by data and demand for our virtual service we’ve taken an exciting step forward and will be opening a brand new centre to serve Glasgow and the surrounding areas.

Together with our centre in Edinburgh we’ll be able to help more women in need with the clothes, coaching and confidence they need to get the job and transform their lives.

Along with a new centre we’ll also be making a change to our name and subject to pending legal permissions we’ll be changing our name to Smart Works Scotland. We’ll be posting more updates across our channels in the coming months so keep an eye out.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this exciting new venture and want to pledge your support here, we’d love to hear from you!

April 29, 2022

Spring/Summer Fashion Sale Raises £2,000!

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September 22, 2022

Say Hello to Smart Works Scotland!

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Location: Scotland
Date: January 21, 2022
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Featured in Edinburgh Life Magazine. image

We’re so delighted to be featured in the latest issue of Edinburgh lifestyle magazine, Edinburgh Life this month.

These photos were taken at our ‘Sustainability Matters’ Event back in November at the Waldorf Astoria and captured the mood perfectly. With over 80 guests, our wonderful guest speakers Jane Shepherdson CBE and Lady Juliet Hughes-Hallet, our Smart Works Fashion rail and stalls from the beautiful sustainable fashion brands, beira and treen, it was certainly an evening to remember. 💙

Watch this space for our exciting series of events that we’ve planned for 2022!

 

 

 

January 14, 2022

Cycle for Smart Works 2022

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January 27, 2022

Cycle for Smart Works 2022 – A Conversation with Gina.

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Location: Scotland
Date: April 28, 2021
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Our office has reopened! image

On Monday 26th of April 2021, we reopened our doors at 32 Annandale Street Lane once again!

We have been providing our services remotely over the past few months, with our coaches guiding our clients with interview techniques via Zoom, and our team in HQ posting our interview clothing parcels to women across Scotland.

However, we are back in our Edinburgh office with our wonderful team of volunteers by our side. This week we welcomed a few of our volunteers into our centre for the first time since before Christmas. One of our dressing volunteers, Annie, who has been volunteering with Smart Works Edinburgh for 5 years said:

“It is fantastic to be back, meeting new people, helping our clients again and serving a purpose. It is all round great to be back!”

We couldn’t agree more, Annie.

The true silver lining of the past year is our virtual service and the ability to reach more women in Scotland. We have been able to offer our services to women in the following areas:

  • Edinburgh
  • Glasgow
  • Lanarkshire
  • Aberdeen
  • Dundee
  • Falkirk

We are thrilled to be able to offer our amazing clients a more personal dressing service while we continue to look forward to the day we can welcome them into our centre again. Clients continue to be at the heart of everything we do at Smart Works Edinburgh.

March 10, 2021

Let’s Catch Up: International Women’s Day and Cycle for Smart Works Edinburgh 2021

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May 19, 2021

Our Friends at Treen

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Location: Scotland
Date: March 10, 2021
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Let’s Catch Up: International Women’s Day and Cycle for Smart Works Edinburgh 2021 image

With March being the busiest month of the year here at Smart Works Edinburgh, here is a look back at what we have been up to over the past week.

Our trustees were heavily involved with the events surrounding International Women’s Day, with Kirsty Johnston, talking all things Smart Works at Brewin Dolphin’s virtual International Women’s Day event. Kirsty was accompanied by financial experts from Brewin Dolphin, who discussed the world of investments, financial planning and charities, all from the perception of women within the industry. Stylist, Numba Pinkerton, also joined the event, providing practical tips and tricks to help you master the art of smart/causal dressing.

Additionally, Bronagh Power, shared the work of Smart Works Edinburgh with all those attending Shepherd and Wedderburn’s virtual panel. Bronagh shared some of the challenges faced by our charity in the past year but also shared some of the opportunities that were presented to us , most notably the chance to extend our geographical reach so that we can now support women from all over Scotland.  The event was a great success with Bronagh sharing; “There were about 94 in attendance on the day but the event was shared across social media platforms. It was a great opportunity to hear from other women’s inspiring experiences and of course to share something of our wonderful Smart Works story.”

As the week of “Cycle” arrived and left, it became clear that this years event has been our most successful yet, with almost £32,000 raised for Smart Works Edinburgh. This year also saw our largest number of participants ever with 251 participants. We would like to thank you all for your amazing effort, without it, we wouldn’t be able to carry out the life-changing services we do to women around Scotland.

March 10, 2021

Farewell, Amelia.

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April 28, 2021

Our office has reopened!

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Location: Scotland
Date: February 3, 2021
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An Update on our Services image

A quick reminder to our Smart Works Edinburgh community that despite Scotland’s third and most recent lockdown, we are doing our best to continue providing our services to women in need. So what does this look like?

Fortunately, we are still able to offer our expert-led, one-on-one interview and career-coaching services, which can be carried out virtually or over the phone. This has proven to be an invaluable asset to the dozens of women that we have been able to see over the course of the pandemic.

Furthermore, our dressing service will also continue to operate, as our wonderful dressing team works with our clients over the phone or video call to curate the perfect outfit, will package it into a box with love, care and a supportive smile, and ensure it’s delivered straight to their door. Unfortunately, however, we are unable to accept clothing and accessory donations at our Edinburgh office, but we’ll let you know as soon as that changes.

While the news of another lockdown was hardly greeted with enthusiasm, we are as grateful as ever for the everlasting support of our Smart Works Edinburgh community and referral partners. It is thanks to you that it is still possible for us to support unemployed women through the interview process, equipping them to feel prepared and dressing them to feel confident.

The next few months will be challenging, but we’re better prepared than ever before to make sure we can be there for our clients at a vital moment in their lives. If you or someone you know is in need of our services, please don’t hesitate to contact us at edinburgh@smartworks.org.uk

In the meantime, you can stay up-to-date by following our Instagram @Smartworksedinburgh.

January 27, 2021

Introducing our most recent Smart Works Edinburgh Trustee, Lucy Hannay

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February 17, 2021

A Thank You to Our Volunteers

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Location: Scotland
Date: November 6, 2020
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Celebrating 1,500 Appointments image

This month Smart Works Edinburgh has reached 1,500 appointments since our centre opened. This is a huge milestone for us and marks the change and growth that we have undergone since our first client in 2014. We’d like to thank our clients and community of supporters over the years, as you have helped us progress from dressing clients and providing interview training, to our now virtual service which has enabled us to reach women not only local to Edinburgh, but across the country.

Following our opening in 2014, Smart Works Edinburgh began to accumulate more and more clients, which has enabled us to spread our reach, and work with a huge array of incredible companies such as Le Tee, Treen, Bobbi Brown, and partner with retailers like Hobbs, Next, Whistles, Evans, Marks & Spencer, and John Lewis & Partners, who send us stock as donations. In our journey, our supporters have also donated thousands of pounds to the charity, which has allowed us to continue helping women into work.

We believe that a first impression is crucially important for confidence in a job interview. It follows that when a woman lands a job interview, she deserves to have the means to give a good first impression. At Smart Works Edinburgh, we provide the tools to do exactly that. With our 2-hour dressing and interview preparation service, 70% of our clients have gone on to succeed in their interview and get the job. This is why celebrating 1,500 appointments is so momentous for our team.

Thank you again for your help and support as members of the Smart Works Edinburgh community. We are so proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to what the future brings!

October 28, 2020

Meet The Trustees: Maxine Eggenberger and Catriona Mackie

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November 20, 2020

Presenting: Cycle for Smart Works 2021

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