Smart Works Leeds Fashion as a Force for Good Awards Ball will be the ‘Yorkshire style event of the year’

The charity, which dresses and coaches unemployed women for interview and job success, is to mark its 5th birthday with the ball and awards ceremony at The Marriott Leeds on November 13, 2024.

The event follows on from the success of last November’s inaugural Fashion as a Force for Good Ball, co-hosted by journalist and presenter Christine Talbot and actor and presenter Natalie Anderson and attended by prominent faces from the world of TV, media, fashion and business. Yorkshire TV presenters Amy Garcia, Amanda Harper, Sally Simpson and Kerry Gosney joined more than 200 guests, including social media influencers Rachel Peru and Emma Worthington, wearing sustainable special occasion outfits to highlight and support Smart Works Leeds and its work empowering women to find employment and change the trajectory of their lives.

See the guests at last year’s Smart Works Leeds Ball

Natalie, who was appointed Smart Works Leeds first ambassador last year, said: “It was such an honour to host the inaugural Fashion As A Force For Good Awards. I’m thrilled that we will be stepping out in style again in November, with even more awards to celebrate the brilliant Yorkshire fashion community.

“As an ambassador of Smart Works Leeds, it’s hugely exciting for me to see this event return and to raise even more vital funds for the essential work we are doing to help unemployed women get the job and change their lives.”

Smart Works Leeds says that the ball and awards will focus on the power that clothing and style have to transform how we all see ourselves and it encourages attendees to dress in a way that makes them feel special, saying: “Wear that dress you never thought you would, celebrate a favourite piece in your wardrobe that tells your story, or support sustainable fashion by hiring your outfit.”

Guests are also promised a fabulous welcome reception, three-course meal and dancing. “It will be a night of magic moments, promising that everyone in the room leaves the event feeling empowered and inspired,” says Smart Works Leeds.

Smart Works Leeds chair of trustees, Tracy Fletcher, said: “I am super-excited to announce that we will be once more hosting our amazing FAAFFG Ball. We all have the chance to dress up in that special outfit that makes us feel fabulous, and come together with our Smart Works family to celebrate.”

There will be 10 high-profile awards that will recognise Yorkshire fashion designers, creatives, influencers, stylists and retail outlets that are leaders in the industry, bringing kindness and creativity into fashion across Yorkshire. They will be judged on their commitment to sustainability, as well as to diversity, inclusivity, commitment to their customer and innovation. Awards will also recognise the special people and organisations who make the work of hosts Smart Works Leeds possible.

The five fashion categories are: 

Force for Good Independent Boutique of the Year - An independent fashion designer, shop or online boutique, based in Yorkshire, with community and/or sustainability at their heart as they deliver brilliant design and/or excellent customer experience and quality.

Force for Good Retail Team of the Year - Open to all fashion stores, from small independents to large retailers with multiple stores and Yorkshire-based online retailers. We are looking for teams who strive to engage with and make a difference to their community and environment. Is there a fashion store in Yorkshire that you love, where the staff always go that extra mile to make you look fabulous and feel confident?

Force for Good Emerging Designer of the Year - For students, graduates and emerging designers, based in Yorkshire, who have a strong focus on sustainability and/or inclusivity challenges. Who has impressed you with their innovative portfolio, collections and projects? Who is the One to Watch?

Force for Good Influencer of the Year - Which Yorkshire-based social media fashion icon do you admire most? Who wears it well, but also does so much more than that, highlighting issues of inclusivity, sustainability and ethics, championing others and striving always to use fashion as a force for good?

Force for Good: Creative of the Year - For an individual or a team working in the fashion and style creative fields in Yorkshire including photography, videography, fashion styling, and content creating. We are looking for creators whose work is striking and diverse, underpinned by ethics and sustainability.

The closing date for the Fashion as a Force for Good award nominations is June 7 at 5pm. Nominate yourself or someone that inspires you now here

Tickets for the ball and awards are available now at an early bird price of £85 each, or £800 for a table for 10. More details and tickets here For more details, contact [email protected]

Based at Mabgate Mills, Smart Works Leeds supports women across Yorkshire. Clients come from the region’s job centres and from referral partners including organisations and charities for care leavers, refugees, the homeless, survivors of addiction and domestic abuse, and from the prison service. Last year, the charity supported more than 800 women across Yorkshire.

It is part of Smart Works, a high profile and fast-growing UK charity that dresses and coaches unemployed women for success at their job interview, empowering women by giving them the clothes and the confidence they need to succeed. After visiting Smart Works, 69 per cent secure a job within a month, gaining financial independence and transforming their lives.