Converse Theatre achieve success through utilising business-orientated techniques - March 2008

Young People

Volunteering Provides Great Rewards 

Not many people would voluntarily put themselves in front of a group of disillusioned, boisterous youngsters and tell them how to do something. But Randall Hayes did.

As a Business Champion and member of the East Midlands Development Agency’s (emda’s) elite task force of business volunteers, Randall, MD of Hayes Assignments Ltd (a business coaching company) chose to work with Connexions, the government organisation that helps young people into work.

Through one-on-one and group sessions he provided an insight into the world of business and interview techniques essential to gaining employment.

“These children have had a hard time coming out of the education system and lacked awareness of what industry wants.” said Randall. “I helped them present themselves more effectively for the business environment without blinding them with science.

“When you work with groups and you can see things happen through your involvement that gives you a fantastic feeling.”

While Randall’s career has involved HR activities for sales and manufacturing organisations in the private and public sector, in his spare time, for over two decades he has also been providing his expertise and experience helping charities and voluntary organisations develop better business practice.

As a Business Champion, he has volunteered his time to a variety of Lincolnshire-based organisations including the Lincolnshire Credit Union, Connexions and the Converse Theatre, assisting them in utilising business-orientated techniques to achieve greater success.

Having gained experience of theatre through his advisory role at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, Randall has recently been assisting the development of the Converse Theatre, a Lincoln charity offering individual development to adults with learning difficulties and mental health service users.

“I’m coaching the artistic director of the Theatre. We meet once a fortnight for about an hour to discuss time management, increasing the Theatre’s profile and generating greater income. It’s immensely rewarding seeing things happen with your involvement. You can see somebody feel better in what they do and get results and when I get to see they’re doing well I get a glow from that.

“The beauty is that Business Champions can come from any background. There are so many opportunities to help in our region, they just need to be good listeners, logical, reliable and be willing to give up their time. And the more you put into helping others the more you get out of life!

“A good day’s work for me is to see somebody else benefit from my help and being a Champion allows me to do that.”