In 1996 a £1,500 Prince’s Trust grant allowed Andrew Dwerryhouse to launch Merseyside brand marketing firm Wild Thang – now he is to help fund the trust’s next generation of entrepreneurs. Tony McDonough reports
Brand marketing specialist Wild Thang one of Merseyside’s best known and successful SMEs and it was all made possible with the help of a 1,500 Prince’s Trust grant.
That £1,500 cash injection assisted Wild Thang managing director and founder Andrew Dwerryhouse to launch a business that today employs dozens of people and services multiple blue chip clients both in the UK and overseas.
Now, in what Andrew is calling a “special full-circle moment”, Wild Thang is to offer funding for the next generation of aspiring young entrepreneurs through the Princes Trust’s Enterprise Programme.
“We aim to provide them with the tools, resources and mentorship they need to turn their dreams into reality,” said Andrew. “We now have the opportunity to give back to the organisation that once supported us.”
From its base in Bootle, Wild Thang is now on a growth curve that will see new jobs created over the coming months. During the pandemic it invested more than £2m in upgrading its headquarters close to the Port of Liverpool.
In July LBN revealed LBN the business is investing £250,000 in new machinery for its Bootle plant as it increases capacity to meet growing demand from both UK and overseas customers.
Its 50-strong award-winning team produces a huge range of branded goods, including t-shirts, pens, baseball caps, mugs, coasters, bags and banners of all sizes.
Clients include Vimto, SkyBet, McDonald’s, Princes Foods, LJMU and Paddy Power. The firm also does work for a number of Premier League clubs including Liverpool and Everton.
Founded by King Charles III in 1976 when he was the Prince of Wales, the Prince’s Trust focuses on empowering young individuals. In many cases they are facing poverty, limited education, involvement with the justice system and even homelessness.
By providing crucial training, mentoring and financial assistance, the Trust equips young people with the skills and confidence to create a better future for themselves.
Now it is the UK’s leading youth charity, having helped more than 1m young people turn their lives around, backed 125,000 entrepreneurs and given business support to 395,000 people in the UK.
Andrew added: “Our connection with the Prince’s Trust runs deep. In 1996 Wild Thang received invaluable support in the form of a small grant, loan, training and mentoring support that helped us lay the positive foundation for our business at the very start.
“We are forever grateful for the opportunities the Trust provided me personally and on the company’s journey to success.
“I will personally never forget that all-important business mentoring I received from an amazing individual called Walter Yates. He helped us write our first business plan and was a fantastic support in helping get us started with the right business foundation.”
Wild Thang has traded within the EU for a number of years, and has set up an operation in the Republic of Ireland to smooth its transition post-Brexit. Now it is looking to expand even further afield.
Andrew explained: “We have genuinely never been more excited about the future to achieve further positive growth across the company with our sights now firmly set on the US.
“If you know me and Wild Thang, you know we are passionate about making a difference in our community and society, trying to make a difference is embedded into the company’s DNA.
“I am hopeful we can be a positive Prince’s Trust alumni company as an example of what is possible to achieve and reduce self-limiting beliefs when it comes to any young person starting a new business.
“We are no overnight success being 27 years young. And we have always been in business for the long game to build something special and dare to be different as we believed that is the only way you build the right culture.
“We will be forever grateful to Walter, the then Prince Charles, now King Charles III and The Prince’s Trust for supporting us 27 years ago and this is an incredibly special full-circle moment.”
Lucy Johnson, philanthropy manager for the Prince’s Trust, added: “We are incredibly grateful to Andrew and Wild Thang for joining our supporter family and helping us to be there for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners.
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“Here at the Prince’s Trust, we believe that every young person should have the chance to succeed no matter what challenges they face in life. We are extremely lucky to have a committed and passionate network of supporters who share that same vision.
“The vital support they provide allows us to equip young people across the UK with the skills and confidence they need to achieve their aspirations and become the best version of themselves.
“The fact Andrew was a beneficiary of this support and is now choosing to give back to the Trust feels very special, and we’re really excited to have him on board.”