In October, 10 Amey graduates across the UK were selected to take part in the Global Micro-Tyco Challenge: a multi-award winning entrepreneurial training programme run by WildHearts. Teams had 30 days to turn £1 seed capital into as much as possible, with 100 per cent of the revenue generated being invested on their behalf in WildHeart’s global microfinance projects across the developing world.
Amey graduates launched a series of creative business ideas throughout their Micro-Tyco challenge which generated just under £300. Their ideas included organising a Halloween night for local university students, partnering up with a fun run company to launch a ‘zombie themed’ run for Amey colleagues, and organising art gallery events in coffee shops to support local artists and businesses.
By taking part in Micro-Tyco, graduates developed key entrepreneurial skills including leadership, team work, and negotiation and sales skills; all of which are increasingly important to start your own business or progress in an existing one. In 2017, the UK reported the presence of 5.7 million private organisations, 4.4 million of which had no employees but a combined turnover of £272 billion [1], illustrating how beneficial entrepreneurialism can be to the economy.
Leading the team of graduates, Darren Doherty, said: “Taking part has enabled me to develop my business skills in a new and exciting direction. It also enabled my team and I to represent the Amey brand in a creative and innovative way, as you have to think strategically and move quickly. The whole team is really excited to hear about the impact our generated funds will have on people’s lives for years to come.”
Andy Milner, Chief Executive Officer CEO of Amey, said: “We recognise the great impact social enterprises make in the communities in which they operate. But it’s also great when our employees are also positively impacted through these partnerships, gaining significant skills whilst promoting social change. Programmes like this really make a difference to many lives and we’re pleased to support them.”
Mick Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of WildHearts, and Micro-Tyco creator said: “I'd like to congratulate Amey graduates for turning their £1 seed capital into over £270 in just 30 days. The creativity and execution of their ideas brought their entrepreneurial skills to life and the funds generated as a result will go on to impact lives globally. They should all be extremely proud.”
As a result of their ambitious ideas, the participants accumulated funds will go on to transform many lives in the developing world through WildHearts microfinance programmes. Microfinance provides some of the world’s poorest people with access to banking, enabling them to start their own businesses and work themselves and their families out of poverty. To date, WildHearts has funded Microfinance in over 40 countries across 5 continents.