Judy Murray: Smart thinking from a charity working to help women get the clothes, confidence and the job

This week I attended a very special event held by Smart Works Edinburgh, a charity that helps women prepare for job interviews.

There are six branches of the charity around the UK. Since the Scottish centre opened, in 2014, it has helped more than 1,000 women feel more confident by providing them with high-quality work outfits as well as tips, advice and one-to-one interview prep.

The service is delivered by 30 skilled and trained volunteers, and their stock of clothing – including suits, separates, accessories and make-up – are donated by other working women or retail partners such as Hobbs, Whistles and Bobbi Brown.

Many women either lack confidence in their ability or appearance or don’t have the means to be able to dress or successfully prepare themselves for an interview, so the charity’s work is incredibly valuable.

At its core, the ethos is all about women supporting women, empowering more females into the workplace or helping them to get a foot up the ladder – something I have always been so passionate about.

Last autumn I spoke at the Business Women Scotland Awards in Glasgow and somebody told me a bit about the charity’s work and invited me to come along to their next fundraiser, which happened to be at Harvey Nichols last Monday.

The event included a panel discussion from three very impressive businesswomen who talked about their journeys to the top of their chosen field, how they dealt with setbacks, and how they help to empower more women to back themselves.

Their stories were inspirational and, as I sat listening, I couldn’t help nodding at all of the points they made.

The event and the wider charity backs up everything I believe in – we can all be a role model or mentor for somebody, no matter what they do or what level they operate at.

We all know it’s much harder for women to climb the corporate ladder so its good to know there are people out there who are investing in others by sharing advice and boosting confidence.

What’s more, we women regularly judge ourselves too harshly and that can hold us back from seizing opportunities. We often say we are too shy, too afraid, not ready, not good enough or don’t look right for the part… And women are, sadly, judged way more on their appearance than men are.

Meghan Markle is one of the ambassadors for Smart Works, and I hope, through her involvement and more events like the one I attended, support for the charity will continue to grow.

The volunteers are already seeing 20 women a month and making a big impact.

The charity’s motto is – get the clothes, get the confidence, get the job. That sounds like a pretty good fit to me.