Tom Haines

Since graduating from Sports Business and Entrepreneurship in 2022, I’ve come to truly appreciate the opportunities it creates. I discovered so much about myself and what I am capable of through experience, failure and collaboration.

After graduating from the programme, I continued to grow Hedgy, the business that I began whilst studying. What started with just 10 designs has now expanded to over 70 across multiple size options, with more launching soon. My aim has always been to raise awareness for the animals featured on the socks, focusing on British wildlife, nature, and endangered species, while continuing to donate thousands of pounds to a local wildlife hospital.

Beyond that, we’ve donated hundreds of socks to a homeless charity supporting young adults, and funded a local kids' club to run monthly nature sessions for an entire year. The recognition of Hedgy can be seen across our website, Etsy store, and through the 1,000+ five-star reviews we’ve received. We’re excited to see what the future holds.

As someone who had potential at school but found it hard to commit to a single subject, this course helped me follow my passion and work with others toward shared goals.