118
Lynch and an
employee stand next
to one of his buses
Photographed by John Ferguson
“I realised my staff needed to be up-skilled. Even though they were Robust’s state-of-the-art facilities also include internet access,
working for a small transport company I wanted our drivers, escorts, music and computer games. “We have two trainer buses; one for
and even those who clean the vehicles, to have basic skills in areas adults and another designed for kids – plus six others in the making,”
such as literacy and customer service, to give them a foothold.” Lynch says. “These buses have been well-received and we’ve been
In November 2007, Lynch launched Robust Training in rushed by the Scottish government and Welsh office, and had
Camberwell, south London, and worked with the Learning enquiries from Russia, the Czech Republic, and the European Union.”
Skills Council (LSC) and Havering College to provide a range of A leading figure in the passenger transport and training industries,
qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities for his staff, and Lynch is regularly consulted by government and industry bodies.
subsequently the local community. Recently he was runner-up in the UK Trade and Investment
“Our core business is the transport provision, but the training with Department of Industry Award for Achievement in Business, and in
our staff and local community means the LSC have contracted with us 2008 he was crowned Entrepreneur of the Year at the Black Business
to train people and help them find jobs.” Awards.
In addition to the learning centre, Robust Training has four But he has always stayed grounded. “If I do anything, I’ve got
futuristic mobile buses worth £300,000 each, which reach out to to be able to effect change,” Lynch says. “And if the community is
communities on housing estates. “There are a number of people enhanced, the community will make sure that your business is a
in harder-to-reach areas who are forgotten, and that’s who we’re success. I’ve made my million, but my ambition was to stop my mum
engaging with,” Lynch says. “We run about 18 types of courses from working and I achieved that when she was 47 years old. She’s
electronically from the vehicles, and end up influencing the way now 69. I feel I must have been blessed.”
training is delivered, and people’s perceptions of thinking that they
can’t fit in to society.” Akosua Annobil-Dodoo is co-founder of overgroundonline.com
PowerList10_IS02_P062-063.indd 2 08/09/2009 12:27
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132