Moxie News

Blake Morgan supports Working Wardrobe to help job seekers dress for success

Law firm, Blake Morgan, is the latest partner to sign up to support Working Wardrobe, a pioneering project that donates interview and work clothing to people looking for employment in South Wales.

The Working Wardrobe initiative aims to give people the confidence to take their first step towards a new career by donating free interview and workwear attire from hubs across Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Caerphilly, and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Almost 230,000 workers in Wales were employed in sectors shut down by social distancing measures to restrict the spread of Covid-19, and in December 2020, Wales saw the highest rise in unemployment in the UK.

Working Wardrobe aims to remove the barrier caused by a lack of suitable, quality interview and office wear for people looking for work.

The 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 (CCHA), along with mental health and social change charity Platfform and design agency Bluegg.

Working Wardrobe Blake Morgan Social Housing Wales
(From left to right) Louise Howells of Blake Morgan with Rich Thomas of Moxie People and Working Wardrobe

Blake Morgan will support Working Wardrobe by encouraging staff to donate high-quality, new or gently used professional workwear to be distributed to job seekers across South Wales. The firm will also run interactive sessions around employability and interview skills.

Louise Howells, Partner with Blake Morgan, explained:

"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.

“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.

“We were attracted by the opportunity to put those clothes to good use by passing them on to people seeking to re-enter the workplace. We think Working Wardrobe will make a huge difference to so many lives, and we are proud to play our part.”

Rich Thomas, the co-founder of Moxie People and the Working Wardrobe project, said:

Employment has the power to transform lives and our local communities while boosting the Welsh economy. Working Wardrobe is all about building people up and giving them the opportunity to secure sustainable employment – which we believe everyone deserves. We have already seen incredible transformation stories, including one homeless man who we were able to help on his way to his first-ever job.

“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.”


Businesses keen to get involved in Working Wardrobe can find out more by emailing workingwardrobe@moxiepeople.com.