Smart Works nominated for bank’s charity of the year

Employment charity Smart Works has been shortlisted for Deutsche Bank’s UK Charity of the Year 2024/25.

The partnership, which will see the chosen charity receive up to £2 million over the next two years, will be decided on by a staff vote closing at 5pm on Friday November 3. 

Smart Works is a UK charity that exists to empower all women who need help getting into work.

It uses the power of high quality clothing and one-to-one coaching to help unemployed women fulfil their potential, get the job, and transform their lives. This targeted solution has a profound and positive impact with 69 per cent getting a job within a month.

As a small but growing charity, this partnership would be truly transformative for Smart Works and the women it supports, transforming the lives of 50,000 women across the UK.

A vote for Smart Works would support the charity to:

• Double the number of women it helps, supporting 50,000 women by the end of 2025.
• Expand from 11 to 14 centres, taking its service to where the data indicates it is most needed.
• Invest in digital transformation to increase the efficiency and capacity of its service.
• Create systemic change, removing barriers to employment for women across the UK.

The charity currently has 11 centres in seven cities across the UK, including one in Birmingham which has the second highest need of all the charity's centres. With over 87,000 potential Smart Works clients in the Birmingham Metropolitan area*, this partnership couldn't come at a more crucial time. 

Kate Stephens (pictured), Smart Works CEO, said:  "This opportunity could not be more timely - never has employment mattered more, nor our service been more needed. 

As a small but growing charity, an investment of this size, and the backing of Deutsche Bank employees, would be truly transformative.

“It is an incredible opportunity that will have a direct and lasting impact for every single Smart Works centre across the UK, allowing us to support 50,000 women by the end of 2025.

“We want to be there for every woman who needs us. Every vote counts."

Nikita, a Smart Works Birmingham client, said “There’s absolutely no doubt that Smart Works helped me get this job.

“The interview coaching came at the right time and encouraged me to focus, prepare and rehearse so that I could overcome my fear and perform better.

“I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me at Smart Works. They were all lovely and I know that without that support I would have struggled.”

It is the charity's mission to take this tangible and empowering service to transform the lives of women across the UK.