Staff at island-based finance firm Utmost International have raised thousands for charity after taking on a 24-hour ‘Apprentice’-style challenge.

Two teams of four employees each were handed £500 by their bosses, with the task of using their entrepreneurial skills to turn a profit within a single day.

The money raised will be donated to two local charities – Hospice Isle of Man and Victim Support Isle of Man.

The teams hit the streets of Douglas last week, selling TT merchandise, washing cars, and even handing out slushies in a bid to boost their fundraising totals. In the end, Team Aspire – made up of David Sherwood, Ellie Duchars, Bethany Hamilton, and Alex Kneale – emerged as the top earners, raising an impressive £5,635. Their rivals, The Utmost Victim Supporters – which included Craig Fletcher, Tom Mcnee, Kerrie Woolland, and Laura Dickinson – raised a further £3,215, bringing the combined total to £8,850.

The initiative forms part of a new internal training programme developed by Utmost in collaboration with the Limitless Group (formerly Mhelp). The three-month scheme, which runs from May to July, is designed to invest in the development of Utmost’s future leaders through real-world challenges and practical learning.

Participants will receive training in media and presentation skills, critical thinking, and time and energy management. They will also take part in one-to-one coaching sessions and present their learnings in a town hall-style event to Utmost’s workforce of more than 600 employees.

Amy Harrison, Utmost’s learning and development manager, said the programme aims to push the firm’s rising stars out of their comfort zones.

Speaking on the day of the challenge, she said: ‘We've selected these people because we've got a lot of high talent in Utmost.

‘We really wanted to put skills in place that are going to test them, which I think we've definitely done today. A couple of times I’ve gone up to see them, and they’ve looked a bit stressed, but that’s exactly what we want – and I think they've all thoroughly enjoyed it too.’

Phil Quirk, from the Limitless Group, said the programme is a refreshing approach to training.

‘As an external provider working alongside Amy to design this, it’s great to see a business embrace innovative training like this,’ he said.

‘It’s not the normal thing. I think most people looking at this from the outside in would say they’d quite like to have a go at this training because it’s very engaging, very fun, and definitely a bit different. Utmost should be given a lot of credit in that respect.’

Craig Fletcher, a member of The Utmost Victim Supporters, said the experience had been challenging but rewarding.

‘The whole initiative for both teams is about raising good money for two good causes,’ he said. ‘We just want to be behind it and make sure we raise as much as we can for them.’

Together, the two teams raised a total of £8,850 for their chosen charities.

Once the training programme wraps up in July, Utmost plans to assign the participants a real-life project designed to benefit the company’s clients and colleagues.