Blake Morgan teams up with Working Wardrobe Project to help people looking for employment in South Wales
National law firm Blake Morgan is encouraging its lawyers and staff to donate their new or nearly new professional workwear to help those looking to get back into employment.
The move is part of the firm’s new partnership with Working Wardrobe, a project which looks to remove the barrier caused by a lack of suitable, quality interview and office clothing for people looking for work.
The firm — which has five offices across the UK, including a major presence in Cardiff — says the corporate garb will be distributed to job-seekers across South Wales.
The Working Wardrobe project was developed by a partnership between housing recruitment agency Moxie People, housing associations Newydd Housing, United Welsh, Tai Calon Community Housing and Cardiff Community Housing Association, along with mental health and social change charity Platfform and design agency Bluegg.
Commenting on the firm’s involvement, partner Louise Howells said:
“At Blake Morgan, we take our responsibility to the communities in which we operate very seriously and as such we are proud to partner with Working Wardrobe, which will help tackle some of the most pressing social and economic issues we face in South Wales.”
She added: “We know that being dressed for success can often give people the confidence and self-belief to take that all-important first step towards applying for a job or a new career. In addition, with working patterns changing at the firm and less need for daily formal wear, we found that many of us had a surplus of smart office wear.”
The firm also pointed to stats that show nearly 230,000 workers in Wales were employed in sectors shut down by social distancing measures to restrict the spread of coronavirus, and in December 2020, the country witnessed the highest rise in unemployment in the UK.
Rich Thomas, co-founder of Moxie People and the Working Wardrobe project, added: “Clothes can make such a difference to people’s confidence; when you’re dressed for success, you can take on the world. By joining our project, the team at Blake Morgan will help to transform thousands of lives over the coming year, one outfit at a time.”
The firm will also run interactive sessions around employability and interview skills.
