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: Greater Manchester
Date: February 18, 2020
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Smart Works Presents Inspiring Tales 2020 image

We kicked started 2020 with a fantastic event, Inspiring Tales. Hosted by Bworks at Virgin Money Manchester, we welcomed new and regular supporters of Smart Works for an evening of fashion and inspiration.

A previous client joined us at the event to share her journey and experience at Smart Works. Sandra was made redundant at the end of last year and following an appointment with Smart Works, went on to get a new job!

We were thrilled to have Smart Works GM Ambassador Michelle Ackerley host the panel discussions. Topics covered by the panel on the evening were focused on overcoming challenges, supporting other women and local communities.

Huge thank you to our guests for providing insight and encouraging personal growth;

  • Michelle Ackerley – Renowned Journalist and TV Presenter
  • Caroline Roberts-Cherry – BAFTA Award Winning TV Producer
  • Alison Loveday – Law Firm Partner & Pro Manchester Chair of Science and Tech
  • Debbie Cannon – Award Winning Insurance Leader & LGBTQI+ activist
  • Fay Selvan – CEO Big Life Group & Chair of Jigsaw Housing Trust
  • Rose Marley – CEO Sharp Futures & Social Enterprise Advisor to Andy Burnham

Throughout the evening our guests could shop an exclusive designer fashion sale and enter our raffle to be in with the chance to win some fantastic prizes.

The sale was a huge success and many picked up some fantastic bargains!

Thank you to all our guests and panelists, your support means Smart Works can continue to provide its service to more unemployed women across Greater Manchester throughout 2020.

 

February 18, 2020

Trinnovo Group Supports Smart Works Greater Manchester

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February 18, 2020

In The Press – Jan’s Smart Move

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Location: Greater Manchester
Date: February 18, 2020
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We are proud to announce our partnership with Trinnovo Group for 2020.

In our first collaboration the Trinnovo Group will be supporting Smart Works on our annual Spin for Smart Works campaign, raising funds to support our daily service.

This will mean the Trinnovo Squad will be completing a 7-day 500-mile cycling challenge in the week leading up to International Women’s Day 2020. In 2019, Smart Works raised £72,000 with 138 teams cycling 63,000 miles. We hope with Trinnovo’s support we will help raise a lot more in 2020.

Jan Iceton, the Chair of the Board at Smart Works said of the partnership;

“Smart Works Greater Manchester is extremely grateful for this partnership opportunity with Trinnove which follows on from multiple fund-raising activities the group has done on our behalf, in recent years. We look forward to our ongoing partnership and getting many more women into the workplace.”

Check out more on Trinnovo Group here.

 

February 3, 2020

Bare Necessities Donates 550th Confidence Boosting Pamper Bag

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February 18, 2020

Smart Works Presents Inspiring Tales 2020

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Location: Greater Manchester
Date: February 3, 2020
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Bare Necessities Donates 550th Confidence Boosting Pamper Bag image

Thursday 23rd January marked a milestone in our fantastic partnership with Bare Necessities, being the date when we received our 550th confidence-boosting pamper bag. A video was posted to Bare Necessities Instagram and Twitter feed documenting the delivery to Corina at Smart Works.

Smart Works was one of the first charities supported by Bare Necessities Toiletry Bank when they started in 2018. Their determination to use everything donated led to the birth of the pamper bags as they found a way to re-purpose the hotel minis clogging up bathrooms! The ‘Operation Miniature’ is now a firm fixture on the Bare Necessities calendar when teams of volunteers come together to sort, compile, bag and label pamper bags, several times a year. Bare Necessities estimate that they have made around 1,000 such pamper bags since they began.

“We understand only too well how hard it is to get back into the world of work after taking a break for whatever reason as well as coping with any additional difficulties. It is so important to be able to go into an interview feeling confident and the treats in our pamper packs are aimed at boosting that sense of confidence and self-esteem, so that the women supported by Smart Works will feel their best. Our hope is that a pamper session ahead of the interview day with a bit of ‘TLC’, and the knowledge that these little bags of kindness, have been hand-selected for you by another woman will give you that extra confidence. Women supporting women.”

For more information about Bare Necessities please email: barenecessitiestoiletrybank@yahoo.com

HUGE Thank you to all at Bare Necessities for supporting Smart Works!

January 21, 2020

Smart Works presents Inspiring Tales

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February 18, 2020

Trinnovo Group Supports Smart Works Greater Manchester

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Location: Greater Manchester
Date: January 21, 2020
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Smart Works presents a night of Inspiring Tales….

Join Smart Works Greater Manchester for an evening of conversation with trailblazing women, as they share stories of their success and triumph in Work and Life. Come prepared to ask our fantastic panel questions on their journeys and careers.

Included in your ticket price will be an exclusive goody bag.
Raffle tickets will be available for £5 each and there will be a chance to shop our Designer Fashion Sale throughout the evening.

Speaking at the event:

  • Michelle Ackerley – Renowned Journalist and TV Presenter
  • Caroline Roberts-Cherry – BAFTA Award Winning TV Producer
  • Alison Loveday – Law Firm Partner & Pro Manchester Chair of Science and Tech
  • Debbie Cannon – Award Winning Insurance Leader & LGBTQI+ activist
  • Fay Selvan – CEO Big Life Group & Chair of Jigsaw Housing Trust

More to be announced ASAP.

Click here to book your tickets!

Your attendance will support Smart Works in continuing to provide its service to more unemployed women across Greater Manchester throughout 2020. Thank you.

December 17, 2019

Success at Stockport Business Awards

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February 3, 2020

Bare Necessities Donates 550th Confidence Boosting Pamper Bag

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Location: Greater Manchester
Date: December 17, 2019
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Smart Works Greater Manchester were absolutely thrilled to celebrate their recent success at the Stockport Business Awards, where they were not only shortlisted but won the award for Best Not-For-Profit Organisation. They were up against some tough competition, but were selected as the overall winners based on their incredible performance against their aims and their exciting plans for the future.

Congratulations to the whole Smart Works Greater Manchester team for this well deserved award, and a huge thanks to everyone for all the hard work that made it possible!

 

December 17, 2019

Smart Works Greater Manchester Welcomes New Ambassadors

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January 21, 2020

Smart Works presents Inspiring Tales

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Location: Greater Manchester
Date: December 17, 2019
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Smart Works Greater Manchester is thrilled to welcome two new Ambassadors. Caroline and Michelle joined our styling team at our Manchester office. Both were naturals at picking out fantastic outfits for our clients ready for interview, ensuring they felt prepared and confident.

Caroline Roberts-Cherry is MD of Saffron Cherry Productions, an independent TV and film production company based in Manchester; recent documentaries include Invented in the North West presented by Professor Danielle George MBE and Emmeline Pankhurst; The Making of a Militant presented by Sally Lindsay. She is BAFTA award winning producer and heads up the quiz label Man Possessed for ITV also based in Manchester. A former BBC Executive and trustee of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres who sits on the Advisory Board for England at Ofcom, she is passionate about women’s rights. On appointment to Smart Works Greater Manchester, Caroline says;

 “It’s an honour to be asked to be an ambassador for Smart Works – a wonderful, practical, inspiring charity that offers an invaluable service to women who are supported to flourish then fly. I look forward to increasing awareness of their good work and achievements across the region and supporting their continued success”.

Michelle Ackerley is an accomplished and multi-faceted broadcaster, Michelle is a hugely exciting presenter making waves within the world of broadcast. Having completed a degree in Psychology, Michelle joined the BBC as a programme maker in 2005 going on to present Totally Rubbish for CBBC as well as making guest appearances on popular children’s series. After honing her skills at CBBC, she was offered the opportunity to join the main presenting line up on BBC1’s iconic consumer affairs series Watchdog. With a wealth of impressive and diverse credits to her name, Michelle has since gone on to present the BBC daytime spin off Watchdog Test House, BBC1’s Council House Crackdown and BBC1’s Crimewatch Roadshow and she regularly hosts The One Show. When not busy filming, Michelle also works as a diversity youth mentor working closely with teens that have recently left the care system. On appointment to Smart Works Greater Manchester, Michelle says;

 “I’m incredibly proud and honoured to be an ambassador for such a worthwhile and inspiring charity, making such a positive difference to females lives. I look forward to being a part of this wonderful organisation, offering support in any way I can and helping to raise continued awareness.”

From all at Smart Works Greater Manchester we would like to welcome Caroline and Michelle and we look forward to what 2020 will hold.

December 11, 2019

Smart Works Greater Manchester Launches Referral Pop-Up

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December 17, 2019

Success at Stockport Business Awards

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Location: Greater Manchester
Date: December 11, 2019
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In November, Smart Works Greater Manchester launched a referral pop-up in Manchester Town Hall. The pop-up has a fantastic banner to attract attention and volunteers on standby, encouraging unemployed women to access our service in Stockport, booking in ahead of their job interview.At the launch we were joined by many referral partners from across Greater Manchester, introducing our new referral base and spreading the Smart Works message to new and potential partners.

Joanne Roney OBE, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, opened the event discussing the concept of Smart Works and the impact it will have on Manchester;

I’m so proud of this, because our Manchester is about all of us, working together, to think about what we can do, to build on the strengths of the people of this city. This is a very simple, genuine gesture that plays right to the heart of our Manchester.

The Chair of Smart Works Greater Manchester, Jan Iceton, spoke about her journey to becoming Chair and the incredible opportunity this referral pop-up presents for Smart Works at the launch:

I chair Smart Works because when I retired early I wanted to find a vocation that I could really identify with and an organisation that I could add value to in the city I’ve called home since coming here as a student. I love Manchester and to think I could help support over 400 women a year get work across our Greater Manchester region was simply a compelling “call to action” for me personally. And as a woman, I know how much better we feel when we look great, how much of a final boost that gives us all when we’re going out there into the workplace.

I’m excited to utilise this Manchester location because Manchester is at the heart of our region and a presence here is essential. We have a great service deliver space in Stockport and 2,000 square feet of space is hard to come by at an affordable cost for a charity such as Smart Works. So we need to up parts of our service to our key referral partners such as the local Job Centre Plus teams, the Growth Company, Ingeus, We Mind the Gap, The Princes Trust and many others.

Smart Works volunteers will be available every Wednesday for the next 2 months in the Manchester City Centre Town Hall Extension, and also at their full-time premises in Stockport.

We would like to thank Manchester City Council, DWP Manchester, The Growth Company, Ford Trust and Ultimate UK for their fantastic support towards making the launch a success. We are also very grateful to The Growth Company who created a fantastic video of the launch, please watch:

July 15, 2019

Smart Works Greater Manchester welcomes new Chair

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Smart Works Greater Manchester Welcomes New Ambassadors

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Location: Greater Manchester
Date: July 15, 2019
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Smart Works Greater Manchester is thrilled to welcome our new Chair. Jan Iceton begins her new role of Chair of our Board of Trustees today and will lead Smart Works Greater Manchester, helping us to achieve our mission of supporting women in need into employment.

Jan arrives to Smart Works Greater Manchester with over 30 years of experience, working in private sector businesses from multi-national IT companies to local venture capitalists both in the UK and North America. Her strategic know how will help us develop key partnerships across the region, garnering the support needed to help Smart Works Greater Manchester thrive further.

Since our launch in 2015, Smart Works Greater Manchester has supported over 1400 unemployed women in need, helping them to get back into work and transform their lives. Our Stockport-based centre supports women across all the boroughs of the Greater Manchester region.

Jan commented:

“The Smart Works proposition is both fabulously simple and uniquely empowering and the position of Chair embodies everything that I personally believe in. I’m passionate about supporting women in the workplace and so it is a privilege to lead the Smart Works Greater Manchester team of Trustees, Staff and Volunteers in helping more women every year to secure employment.”

We are also delighted to welcome Dr Sheena Bedi to our Board of Trustees. Sheena started her career as a GP in the North of England. She went on to co-found and lead a healthcare company, which is now a successful provider of community health services. Sheena is also involved in leading transformation within Health and Care, as part of Public Service Reform in Greater Manchester.

From all of us at Smart Works Greater Manchester we would like to welcome Jan and Sheena and wish them all the best for the busy and exciting time to come.

April 2, 2019

Applications are now open for Chair of Trustees at Smart Works Greater Manchester

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Location: Greater Manchester
Date: April 2, 2019
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A rare opportunity has arisen for a Chair of Trustees to lead our Smart Works Greater Manchester centre.

Smart Works Greater Manchester opened in June 2015, the first Smart Works centre in England outside of London. Since then they have supported over 1200 women in need and over 67% have gone on to succeed at their job interviews, despite more than half having been unemployed for more than a year and 20% for over 5 years.

We are looking for a Chair of Trustees to take the organisation to our next stage of growth, provide leadership to the trustee, staff and volunteer team, expand our service and help more women across the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester. We want to hear from dynamic, entrepreneurial and inspiring individuals with a desire to help women into employment in their home city. They will relish the challenge of building a start-up charity and will want to get involved in day-to-day operations as well as fundraising and profile building in the Greater Manchester area.

You may have a background in the charity sector; you may have experience in fashion; you may work in the private sector and relish a new challenge; or you may be none of these things. There is no typical Smart Works person. We are committed to helping women and insist on a collaborative approach, learning from each other to help deliver the services uniquely provided by Smart Works.

If you have any further questions please contact chairrecruitment@smartworks.org.uk or read the role description

March 13, 2019

Smart Works Greater Manchester is hiring

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July 15, 2019

Smart Works Greater Manchester welcomes new Chair

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Location: Greater Manchester
Date: March 13, 2019
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We are currently for an Administrator to join our small team here at Smart Works Greater Manchester.

The post is part time, working 9.30am – 2.30pm each week day, based at our Smart Works Greater Manchester centre in Stockport.

If you are interested in finding out more, or know somebody who might be, please visit the Charity Jobs website to find further details and how to apply.

Please note the closing date for applications is Thursday 21st March 2019.

February 18, 2019

New Partnership! University of Manchester Netball Team

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April 2, 2019

Applications are now open for Chair of Trustees at Smart Works Greater Manchester

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