Deutsche Bank Charity of the Year: Week 1

Today marks the end of Week 1 of Smart Works Charity 's campaign to be 德意志银行 's UK Charity of the Year. After a whirlwind week of canvassing, flyering, and handing out hundreds of Smart Works Smarties (my personal favourite) to Deutsche Bank staff, I wanted to take a moment to pause and reflect on what this vote means to us.

Read on to hear what we are doing to encourage Deutsche Bank staff to #VoteSmartWorks and how you can help.

Campaigning in London and Birmingham

Since we announced the news, the Smart Works team have been on the ground at 德意志银行 offices in London and Birmingham, sharing the magic of our service and the stories of the women we support. On Tuesday, I was proud to be spreading the word at Winchester House, joined by our Chief Operating Officer, Rosemary Ashworth , and one of our talented dressing and coaching volunteers, Karishma Navsaria .

We didn’t stop there. At 5pm, Rosie was joined by more of the staff team who braved the October cold and canvassed into the dark, so they could continue speaking with Deutsche Bank employees about Smart Works.

On Wednesday, it was time to pack up our banners and travel North to Birmingham. Our Smart Works Birmingham Chair of Trustees, Philippa Pickavance , spent the day with our Head of Corporate Partnerships Helen Nelson , and Jess Beider , our Head of Programmes. Our Birmingham centre opened in 2016, and so it was brilliant to have such engaging conversations with those in our local community, many of whom already support Smart Works through clothing donations.

We have learnt a lot from this week. As the smallest charity in the running to be 德意志银行 's UK Charity of the Year, we have found that many are learning about Smart Works for the first time. So, it has been brilliant to meet so many Deutsche Bank employees who have taken time out of their day to understand what we do at Smart Works, and how we transform the lives of thousands of women across the UK. I will never tire of sharing the Smart Works Magic, explaining how tangible our service and its results are, and witnessing the moment where someone connects with and believes in what we do.

Smart Works + Deutsche Bank = Positive Impact

If this post has found its way onto your feed and you are one of many who want to know more:

Smart Works is a UK charity that exists to empower all women who need support getting into work. We use 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. It is a targeted solution, with an incredibly profound and positive impact:?69% get the job within a month.

If Smart Works were to become 德意志银行 's UK Charity of the Year (worth ￡2 million), it would truly transform our charity. It would be a game changer for what we could do and the number of women we could help. With Deutsche Bank’s support, we will:

1. Double the number of women helped, transforming the lives of 50,000 women across the UK
2. Expand from 11 to 14 centres, taking our service to areas where the data shows it is most needed
3. Invest in digital transformation to increase efficiency and capacity
4. Create systemic change, removing barriers to employment for women

This partnership could not come at a more crucial time. In the midst of the cost of living crisis, unemployment is at its highest since the pandemic and our service has never been more urgently needed. Deutsche Bank can make a difference now, and have a direct and positive impact on the future of women in the workplace.

One week down, two to go…

We need the full force of our community behind us until voting closes on Friday 3rd November. You can help in the following ways:

• If you work at Deutsche Bank, please vote for Smart Works here
• If you, or someone you know is connected to anyone that works at Deutsche Bank, direct them to this link to find out more about Smart Works and vote

Whether you work at Deutsche Bank or not, you can make a difference and help us to secure the partnership. By simply sharing the news with your networks and resharing our posts, you will play a vital role in supporting thousands of women to secure employment.

A vote for Smart Works is a vote for transforming a woman’s life.