Overview
Working Wardrobe aids individuals seeking employment. Set up after the covid pandemic highlighted the prevalence of clothing poverty, their four hubs in South Wales provide quality workwear and interview attire to boost confidence and help people into careers. Also, by collaborating with community partners they repurpose any clothing donations they can’t use, ensuring no item goes to landfill.
During the pandemic, it became apparent that people who had lost their job or were looking for employment were struggling with clothing poverty. The Working Wardrobe project, started by the Moxie Foundation, donates interview clothing to people looking for work in communities across South Wales.
From their three hubs based across South Wales, Working Wardrobe provide good quality work wear and interview attire to those in need of a boost of confidence and self-belief, helping them to take that all-important first step towards a new, meaningful career.
The clothing provided helps people such as Yulia, who fled Ukraine in 2022 with her two children, arriving in Wales with nothing. She approached Working Wardrobe as she had secured a role within the Local Authority but did not have clothing to be able to carry out her day-to-day role. As well as providing an interview outfit, Working Wardrobe provided Yulia with 5 outfits to be able to maintain the position she had been offered.
The charity also has an environmental conscience, with issues such as carbon emissions, sea-life affected by microplastics from clothing, the energy and water needed to produce clothing and the increasing numbers of items going into the landfill, something they wish to tackle.
Through their links with partners such as the University of Wales Fashion and Textiles course and the Cardiff West Community High School re-purposing project, they ensure that no donation they receive ends up in landfill and is re-used or re-purposed.
Working Wardrobe have recently opened a hub within the Cardiff and Vale College, run by volunteers from their English as a Second Language (ESOL) course, their most diverse hub yet providing culturally appropriate clothing as well as being run by students improving their communication skills.
For their next project they are hoping to trial a hub within Cardiff West Community High School helping pupils with clothing for work placements – a project that will also allow pupils the opportunity to run the facility.
The £2,00 Grants for Good funding will help Working Wardrobe purchase items needed for its growing number of hubs and go towards their running costs to help support them as they continue to expand.
We are delighted to be able to keep supporting vulnerable new mums and their newborn babies across London with vital baby clothes and equipment. We are a tiny organisation, supporting women who don’t have any other avenues available, so donations like these really make a huge difference.
Oonagh Ryder
