National footwear brand Heavenly Feet has made a donation of 25 pairs of shoes, including boots from Weston and Lombardy, to national charity Smart Works’ Leeds branch, to mark the start of its annual donation to the charity.
Smart Works, a charity known for its work with women across the UK who are searching for work, trains job seekers in interview tactics as well as offering a full wardrobe service to ensure the interviewee has everything they need to succeed.
Paul Donnelly, of Heavenly Feet, said: “We are honoured to be able to offer these shoes to Smart Works, a charity that does so much good in the Leeds region and nationally.
“Supporting women in returning to work or finding new employment is extremely important and we are in awe of the incredible work of Smart Works Leeds. We’re looking forward to continuing our support for the charity across different regions in years to come.”
In 2023, the Leeds branch supported over 700 women in successfully applying and interviewing for jobs, in sectors from customer services to healthcare, administration, manufacturing, HR and more.
Smart Works operates in regions across the UK, including London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Newcastle, Reading and Leeds, with plans for new centres also in the pipeline. Heavenly Feet has pledged to make direct donations to these regional centres annually.
Lottie Roberts, Outreach and Communications Lead at Smart Works Leeds, added: “We see on average 50 women a month in Leeds for interview preparation appointments, which means we need a lot of shoes to run our service. A new pair of shoes can make a huge difference to a woman’s confidence when she walks into a job interview.
“The donation from Heavenly Feet empowers us to provide the best service to our clients. On the same day the donation came in, a client left in a pair of Heavenly Feet shoes, feeling ready and prepared to go get the job. This donation will make a huge difference to the Leeds centre, and future donations will make an impact across the charity.”
