UMi becomes donation station for Smart Works Newcastle to support women into employment
Smart Works Newcastle aims to help women secure employment through interview clothing and coaching. With help from UMi, clothing donations are now more accessible for County Durham supporters, being able to bring their womenswear into Navigators Point at Belmont Business Park in Durham.
Since opening their doors in 2018, the charity has supported over 1000 women throughout the North East to help them gain confidence, fulfil their potential and get the job they desire.
Smart Works Newcastle offers a two-hour appointment, in which they coach clients through interview techniques as well as supply workwear styled to them. The service can be accessed by all women who are unemployed, over aged 16 and based in the North East.
The service consists of a 5-person staff team who are supported by a further 40+ volunteers and trustees. The team boasts impressive results, with 72% of women they support getting the job and 95% reporting feeling more confident.
Being based in Newcastle city centre, providing clothing donations could be troublesome for people located elsewhere in the region. This can be an issue considering they give away about 400 items every month. However, the charity works with several partners to mitigate this, one of which is UMi.
These partners act as donation stations, where people can come and drop their contributions instead of travelling directly to the Smart Works office.
Nicki Clarke OBE, Chief Executive of UMi said: “We’re really pleased to be part of such a fantastic service. Empowering women to do more and go further in their careers is a truly worthwhile cause, and one UMi is proud to support.
“I hope by becoming a donation station, we have made it a more accessible service for the Durham region and ultimately encourage more people to donate and help change lives.”
Helen Boyd, Centre Manager for Smart Works Newcastle said: “We launched donation stations to make it easier for supporters to donate clothing to us at their convenience. At Smart Works Newcastle we use fashion as a force for good, providing each client with an outfit ahead of their interview. On average we give out 400 items per month, so we rely on donations from retailers and individuals across the region.
We are thrilled to have UMi as a donation station host, maximising the amount of donations and raising the profile of our service across the North East.”
Smart Works Newcastle accepts donations of all womenswear. This includes workwear as well as partywear and casual wear which will be sold at their Sustainable Fashion Sales. Accepted workwear clothing includes:
- Shoes
- Bags
- Dresses
- Skirts
- Trousers
- Blazers
- Outerwear Accessories
- Scarves
- Flat shoes
To get in touch with Smart Works Newcastle, get involved, or find out how to benefit from their services, reach out via phone or email:
T: 0191 255 1906
E: newcastle@smartworks.org.uk
W: https://newcastle.smartworks.org.uk/
To drop off donations at the UMi donation station, head to the address below between 08:00-18:00, Monday-Friday. On arrival, press the intercom and a member of the team will meet you.
Address: UMi, Navigators Point, Belmont Business Park, Durham, DH1 1TW