Smart Works Newcastle, a charity that gives women the confidence they need to secure employment, has appointed North East marketing professional and creative agency owner, Lisa Eaton, as Deputy Chair.
Lisa has been a member of the charity’s board of trustees since 2021 and is now stepping up to provide more strategic support to the organisation as it aims to double the number of women it helps back into employment. With over 20 years’ industry experience, Lisa is a leading figure in the North East marketing sector, having founded the award-winning creative agency, Unwritten, and, most recently, launching a dynamic marketing academy, Fabric, that has attracted learners from all over the world.
Working closely with Smart Works Newcastle’s Chair, Sophie Milliken, Managing Director of Moja, and its ambassador, Sara Davies MBE of Dragon’s Den fame, Lisa is looking forward to the next phase of her association with the charity. She said: “Over the last six months I’ve seen first hand just what an incredible job Smart Works does for women in this region. Supporting women into work and helping them to build confidence and reach their full potential is something I am hugely passionate about.
“Confidence is one of the biggest barriers for women wanting to get into, or back into work, so seeing how Smart Works empowers women in this way and plays a role in their future success is incredibly rewarding.
“I’m taking on this new role at a time when we plan to double the number of women we support to over 720, which will involve dedicated stakeholder and referrer engagement to ensure that North East women are aware of the service we offer. Supporting brands and causes I believe in sits at the heart of what we do at Unwritten, so I’m keen to ensure we reach our ambitious plans and I can’t wait to watch how the charity grows over the coming years.”
Sophie Milliken, Chair of the Board, said: “The announcement of Lisa as deputy is a key appointment within the Board. We have hugely ambitious plans for this year and beyond and Lisa, along with our trustee colleagues, staff and volunteers, will play an essential role in delivering on our aims.”
Office for National Statistics figures show that since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in January 2020, there has been a 3% decrease in the number of women who are employed aged 16-64 in the North East of England, highlighting the essential need of the Smart Works Newcastle team and reinforcing their ambitious growth plans.
Alongside the core staff team of four, the Smart Works service is delivered by volunteers, in the roles of highly skilled, fully trained coaches, as well as stylists to provide women with advice and access to professional workwear. Clothes and accessories are all donated through retail partners including Hobbs, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis, as well as through donations from the general public.
Smart Works Newcastle is based at Mea House, Ellison Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8XS https://smartworks.org.uk/newcastle-smart-works/