Our mission

Our mission is to create a world where every woman in Bristol can step into the workplace with confidence.

Our story

We are a new, start-up charity in Bristol. We help disadvantaged, unemployed women in Bristol get the Coaching, Clothing & Confidence they need to secure employment and change the trajectory of their lives. Since our inception in October 2025, we have helped more than 120 women get jobs in Bristol. We provide one-to-one interview coaching and a dressing service to help women in their first job interviews. Over half of our clients are from ethnic minorities and around 30% are lone mothers who have often applied for more than 50 jobs without success. We are worth investing in - 68% of our clients succeed at their interview having been through our doors.

Our clients are referred from Job Centres, mental health charities, women’s refuges, homeless shelters, care services and youth organisations. We desperately need financial support to continue with our service.

Any donation you make will transform a woman's life. New nationwide data shows that for every £1 of funding, Smart Works delivers approximately £8 in economic and social benefits

We’re here to coach her, dress her, support her, and champion her - efficiently, relentlessly, and beyond expectation.

Our Staff

Imogen Franklin

Head of Bristol

Imogen is Head of Smart Works Bristol having joined to launch the charity in Bristol and the South West. She is committed to supporting women across the South West on their journey back into employment, ensuring they have the confidence, clothing, and coaching they need to succeed. She is a passionate and experienced leader with a strong background in volunteer management, fundraising, and establishing impactful programmes. With a career dedicated to education and community support, she has a proven track record of empowering individuals and building thriving teams. Before joining Smart Works Bristol, Imogen spent five years managing local education centres at IntoUniversity. She then went on to work at Borderlands for two years, leading education programs to support Bristol’s refugee and asylum seeker community.

Pia Roberts-Holmes

Service Delivery Assistant

Pia joined Smart Works Bristol in January having recently completed a Master’s in Human Rights and Politics. In her role she supports the Centre on a day-to-day basis, working with clients, creating a welcoming space, recruiting and training all new volunteers and supporting wardrobe donations. Through her studies and community involvement, Pia is focused on advancing women’s rights and equality. She is passionate about creating spaces where women feel empowered, confident, and valued.

Our Volunteers

Smart Works Bristol is powered by an amazing community of highly skilled volunteers who offer their time, talents and kindness to help our clients at a crucial moment in their lives.

Our volunteer accredited coaches provide one-to-one coaching to help clients develop skills and confidence to attend interviews.
‍
Our clothing volunteers provide a dressing service to all clients with an interview coming up. Finding them beautiful quality interview outfits that will fill our clients with confidence.

This is free of charge, and the clothes are our clients to keep.

Find out about volunteering opportunities

Our Trustees

Chair of Trustees

Kate Murphy

After a 40-year career as an ethical sustainable and impact investment specialist, Kate has recently retired from financial services. She leads the Trustee Board, is acting Treasurer, and also supports outreach activities and fundraising. She brings experience of working through the challenges of new projects, supporting small businesses and growing charities particularly through The Funding Network live crowdfunding events.

Board Members

Jane Padwick

Jane’s career has spanned both commercial and charitable sectors. Originally working in recruitment and then consulting to the IT sector in London, Jane changed directions after moving to the South West and co-founded a relocation business. In 2018, she joined Smart Works Reading as a dressing volunteer and has remained committed to the charity ever since.

Ruth Jackson

Ruth has spent 30 years in the not-for-profit sector leading fundraising & development teams in London & Bristol, including The Science Museum London and Rethink Mental Illness, followed by 14 years as founder & CEO of an award-winning charity supporting new parents experiencing mental health difficulties. Now an ICF accredited Coach, Ruth loves working with women as they pause and move forward with changes in their lives, careers, and wellbeing.

Elly McLoughlin

Elly is an Agile Delivery Manager in the financial services industry, with a background in project management and a passion for technology. She is dedicated to empowering women and creating opportunities for them to thrive in the workplace. Elly became aware of Smart Works through our corporate relationship with Close Brothers, where she currently works.

Catherine Warne

Catherine has spent 30 years in the global communications world in multi-national agencies specialising in healthcare. Her expertise lies in marketing, all methods of communication and people development in the workplace. She is committed to supporting women to further their career success. In her own career, she has created three companies from the ground up and developed them into successful award-winning businesses. In her spare time Catherine runs a not-for-profit for young people transitioning from university into the workplace.

Laura Fowler

Laura leads the Bristol SWIB (Supporting Women in Business) Group, where she plays a pivotal role in empowering and uplifting women to achieve their ambitions. Laura works as Senior Account Manager in the tech industry at Softcat in Bristol. Laura supports Smart Works Bristol with her ability to shape and implement long-term strategies that align with organisational priorities.

Who We Are