Decorating biscuits, code club and teaching financial literacy

From having fun with customers to creating opportunities for people to grow, as a Community Engagement Manager it's never a dull day for Rakesh.

Rax talking to a customer at an event, with people chatting and drinking tea in the background.

Rakesh (better known as Rax) is a Community Engagement Manager in London, organising events within Lloyds Banking Group’s flagship and concept branches.

I organise events within Lloyds Banking Group’s flagship and concept branches, which are designed for both our customers and the wider public. We do events, often seasonal ones like decorating gingerbreads at Christmas or eggs at Easter, but we also hold events that teach financial literacy and Code Club on Saturdays, for example. Lately we’ve been holding an event called Skills Builder Partnerships, which focuses on essential skills.

The Group have put a significant investment into Skills Builder, through research and funds. They recognise that this is going to really help make an impact on our communities.

Strong foundations

We’ve learned through Skills Builder that high numeracy doesn't necessarily translate to literacy, or other similar skills. And similarly, those who have high literacy skills don't necessarily translate these to numeracy skills. However, those who work on developing transferable skills can begin to expand their knowledge in both and close the gap.

Skills Builder incorporates that at a school level, and then at the same time, we get employers invested in that growth mindset.

Rax presenting to a small group of people gathered round a display board

Sharing the knowledge

At a recent event for Skills Builder we had a large group of employers come down to speak about their experiences and career journeys. The Group wants to open these kinds of conversations up, creating a space where colleagues can share their challenges, their experiences and share insights on how to keep moving forward. Helping get these kinds of initiatives out there really gives me a greater sense of purpose.

Changing pace

Before doing this role, I was a Banking Consultant. I loved my job as a branch manager. It’s so cool to say that I co-managed the largest branch in all of Europe and I dealt with anything from opening up accounts, all the way to bereavements – the whole lifecycle of a customer journey.

When the Halifax flagship branch was originally created, I was one of the first to be selected to run events. I went from dealing with people one to one, to dealing with 10 to 20 people at a time.

This is where I learned what events could do in terms of community outreach. Often when people think of events, they think of socialising and all the fun stuff, but we’re trying to do something more meaningful.

Everyone’s welcome

I handle external and internal events. There are so many initiatives the Group runs to embrace inclusivity and create a supportive culture. For instance, there’s a new East and South Asia Network, Women in Connect Tech, and I'm the co- chair of the Hindu network. I’ve been lucky to work on events for these groups, and their growth and prosperity helps us make everyone feel included.

These events are not just going to Help Britain Prosper, they’re also an extension of myself and my mission – my purpose.

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