Introducing our Client Champions

Across the UK, over 20 former clients have joined our community as Client Champions, sharing their stories and first-hand experiences of our service to champion Smart Works and help us to reach more women.Our clients have always been at the heart of our charity and inspire everyone in the Smart Works community. We wanted to recognise this, asking our clients to take on a more formal role, spread the word about our service and help more women connect with their potential and succeed on their path to employment.On the reasons for starting this new initiative, Kate Stephens, Chief Executive, said:

“The biggest challenge for accessing our service is a lack of awareness about the charity and we hope our Client Champions will help more unemployed women understand that our free dressing and coaching service is available to them. As we mark our tenth year as a charity and the need for our service has never been more pronounced, this could not be more timely or important.”

A week ago we met with our Client Champions to celebrate their new roles. Each Client Champion received a welcome pack in the post, marking this special moment where clients will use their voices to shine a light on the Smart Works service and help empower women into employment.

During the Welcome Event, our CEO read out a letter from our Patron Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, who shared her personal congratulations to our Client Champions.

“I’ve always been proud to be Patron of this charity because clients are given so much more than just a wardrobe for their interviews; they are also given skills and confidence that can last a lifetime. Know that for every moment you invest in being a Client Champion, you are investing in the future of women. You have limitless potential to create positive change, and there are countless women who will benefit from your support.”

Danielle is a former Smart Works client and now a Client Champion. When asked about why she is looking forward to being a Client Champion and what it means to her, Danielle said:

“I’m looking forward to becoming a Smart Works Client Champion because I want to help the charity reach more women in need. As someone who has greatly benefitted from Smart Works’ dressing and interview coaching service, I know first-hand how transformative their support can be. My experience has inspired me to take part in this initiative, helping other women to build their confidence and secure a job. To me, becoming a Client Champion means paying forward the kindness I’ve received to help Smart Works grow and extend their support to more future clients.”

Our clients are the golden thread running through everything we do and we are proud to be welcoming them into the Smart Works community. We look forward to sharing more about their work over the coming year.