Volunteers embark on million makers journey

A team of budding entrepreneurs from Vantage Motor Group took park in a Dragons' Den- style pitch as part of the Million Makers challenge, a national competition where teams of employees collectively raise more than £1m for the Prince's Trust.
Vantage Motor Group's Million Makers Team is pitching its business plan in a Dragons' Den-style panel of senior business leaders in an effort to secure £1,500 seed funding to raise money for The Prince's Trust. From left Martin Baxendale, William Welsh, Jemma Mccarthy, Jo Williamson Gordon's LLP, Martin Robinson Vantage MD, Olivia Jeffery Prince's Trust, Jayne Pearce and David Thacker. Photo: Professional Images/@ProfImagesVantage Motor Group's Million Makers Team is pitching its business plan in a Dragons' Den-style panel of senior business leaders in an effort to secure £1,500 seed funding to raise money for The Prince's Trust. From left Martin Baxendale, William Welsh, Jemma Mccarthy, Jo Williamson Gordon's LLP, Martin Robinson Vantage MD, Olivia Jeffery Prince's Trust, Jayne Pearce and David Thacker. Photo: Professional Images/@ProfImages
Vantage Motor Group's Million Makers Team is pitching its business plan in a Dragons' Den-style panel of senior business leaders in an effort to secure £1,500 seed funding to raise money for The Prince's Trust. From left Martin Baxendale, William Welsh, Jemma Mccarthy, Jo Williamson Gordon's LLP, Martin Robinson Vantage MD, Olivia Jeffery Prince's Trust, Jayne Pearce and David Thacker. Photo: Professional Images/@ProfImages

The team of ten is made up of employees from across the car retailer’s locations and business functions including Jayne Pearce, aftersales manager at Vantage SKODA Morecambe.

Team Vantage will now kick off its effort to raise £10,000 profit in six months after pitching its business plan to the ‘dragons’ and successfully securing £1,500 of seed funding.

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The dragons, made up of Vantage CEO Mark Robinson, Gordons LLP Business Development Director Jo Williamson and Olivia Jeffrey from the Prince’s Trust, quizzed the team’s business plan to ensure its robustness before being satisfied enough to grant the team with the seed funding.

Among the activities the team has planned are the design and sale of umbrellas and travel mugs, a Vantage team tour around its 25 dealerships, and various other fundraising initiatives.

Now in its tenth year, the Million Makers initiative has raised more than £8.3m for the trust since it launched.

Last year, Vantage became a patron of the Prince’s Trust and Vantage Managing Director Mark Robinson also joined the trust’s Regional Development Committee for Yorkshire and Humber.

The Million Makers final will take place in March 2018.