Smart Works Reading

Our Story

First impressions matter. Employers often make up their mind about a candidate in the first five minutes. If you are on a low income and you have no suitable clothes to wear to your interview, it is very difficult to make a good first impression.

The women that come to Smart Works are unemployed but have a job interview lined up. They will be referred to us by other charities and employment agencies. We will work closely with JobcentrePlus and Work Programme providers as well as a range of other organisations geared towards helping women find employment, including charities, women's refuges and prisons.

The clothes will be donated to us by professional women across the Thames Valley through corporate “suit drives”. Suit drives happen when colleagues within a company get together to raise awareness of our work and organise a day when everyone can donate their unwanted clothes and accessories to Smart Works. We are also building relationships with retail outlets across the Thames Valley who could donate end of line apparel to us.