A team of enterprising students from the University of Essex has won The Prince’s Trust Student Million Makers Challenge by raising a record breaking amount of money by coming up with fundraising business ideas.
The £12,000 raised is the highest amount ever achieved by a Student Million Makers team - and will help the region’s most disadvantaged young people gain the skills and confidence to find a job.
Million Makers is a national competition which challenges teams from companies, organisations and universities from across the country to come together to raise £1 million for youth charity The Prince’s Trust. Teams throughout the UK compete to see who can run the most profitable mini-enterprise with all the profits going towards helping disadvantaged young people across the region.
The team received their award at the star-studded Prince’s Trust and L’Oreal Paris Celebrate Success Awards in London where they rubbed shoulders with celebrities such as Gok Wan, Emma Bunton, Justin Lee Collins, Keely Hawes, Tom Hardy, Joanna Lumley, Emeli Sandi and HRH The Prince of Wales, President of The Prince’s Trust.
The Million Makers team organised a huge range of events to raise money from running a stall at Burnham Christmas Fair and baking cakes through to arranging a special Girls Night at the Sub Zero nightclub at Colchester Campus and a sponsored skydive.
Charlie Wheeldon, Student Employability and Enterprise Manager at the University of Essex, said: “Winning The Prince’s Trust Million Makers Challenge is the perfect acknowledgment of the University of Essex team’s incredible hard work, effort and passion. Not only have they made a real difference to local young people’s lives they have also developed the crucial skills employers really value.
“Many of the team members, including the Team Leader Emma Flaherty, have competed in the fundraising challenge for the last three years so this victory is a perfect acknowledgement of all their determination.”
Emma said: “Being the Team Leader of such a hardworking, enthusiastic and inspiring team has been a pleasure and made me immensely proud. Receiving the recognition that we have done has made every event, meeting and late night worthwhile and I would recommend anyone looking to further their skillset to get involved.
“The ceremony itself was fantastic and being able to see how many lives we have impacted and what amazing things people have achieved with the help of The Prince’s Trust meant a lot to us on the day and put things into perspective for us.”
Charlie Baxter, from The Prince’s Trust, said: “I would like to congratulate the University of Essex Million Makers team for raising such a fantastic amount of money which goes straight into helping local vulnerable young people move into work, education or training.”
The University of Essex is committed to helping students develop the skills valued by employers by supporting initiatives such as Million Makers through the Big e programme. The Big e encourages students to develop their skills and confidence through work experience, internships, volunteering, targeted careers guidance and workshops focusing on enterprise and entrepreneurship.
Emma said being involved in Million Makers would help her future career prospects: “My own personal experience of being involved has boosted my confidence and taught me a lot for my own personal development about the way I communicate and lead others but also how I deal with complex situations such as time management, organisational skills and perseverance.
“These are all recognised skills especially for employers so my CV has received a glowing boost. These are just some of the skills I have learnt and improved upon since being involved but being able to do this whilst positively affecting the lives of others in my region is a feeling like no other.”
Youth charity The Prince's Trust helps change young lives. It gives practical and financial support, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation. Last year, more than three in four young people supported by The Trust moved into work, education or training.
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For more information and for a photograph of the winning team at the Prince’s Trust and L’Oreal Paris Celebrate Success Awards please call the University of Essex Communications Office on 01206 874377.
Notes to editors
The Prince’s Trust
Youth charity The Prince's Trust helps change young lives. It gives practical and financial support, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation. It works with 13-to-30-year-olds who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law. The Prince of Wales’s charity has helped more than 650,000 young people since 1976 and supports 100 more each day. Last year, more than three in four young people supported by The Trust moved into work, education or training. In April 2011, Fairbridge became part of The Prince’s Trust. The new united organisation will help 50,000 young people this year.