Business Diary: April 20

ARE you a disaster when it comes to public speaking?

Even if you didn't think you were, you could soon be contacted by a new company which is on a mission to improve the quality of public speaking.

As part of its campaign, The Speaker's Friend, based in Sheffield, is asking audiences to name speakers who let the side down.

Founder Paul Sykes said: "At The Speaker's Friend, we believe that crime awareness is the first step to solving the problem."

He added: "We contact under-performing speakers discreetly and sensitively, to let them know that one or more people have reported their presentation to us and to offer them whatever rehabilitation help they might need." Be warned...

Mixed fortunes for hacks on the pitch

The City's top financial journalists and their counterparts from the world of PR met once again on Sunday for the annual "Hacks vs Flaks" football match at the Bank of England sports ground in London.

This year, for the first time, the girls also took part in a netball tournament.

The Hacks won the football 3-2 following a star performance by the Financial Times's Patrick Mathurin, centre forward, who scored two goals.

Other highlights included Sky News City editor and celebrity journalist Mark Kleinman who was seen clutching his nether regions after he strained his groin before the kick off.

But even the fact that all the referees actually work at City PR firm Financial Dynamics couldn't guarantee the Flaks a victory and the victorious Hacks won the tournament for the second time.

However over on the netball pitch the Flaks gave the Hacks a severe drubbing in the inaugural Charles Stanley netball match. The final score was 29-8 as Anna White at PwC led her team to victory, aided by top shooter Walbrook's Helen Westaway who acts for Filtronic and Animalcare.

Hacks netball captain Yorkshire Post city editor Ros Snowdon vowed her team would get their own back at the rounders match in the summer.

This year the two matches raised 10,000 for the children's charity KidsCompany. Many thanks to the day's sponsors, Orange, Charles Stanley, PwC and Gorkana.

Vocal support for a very good cause

Swapping suits for sequins, Yorkshire's corporate finance and restructuring community will step up to the microphone to raise money for learning disability charity, Mencap.

The Y Factor, previously known as Leeds Idol, is now in its third year and will take place on Thursday, May 13, at the Wardrobe Bar, St Peter's Square, Leeds. Sponsored by Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance and Walker Morris, the singing competition hopes to raise funds to support Mencap's work with people with learning disabilities, their families and carers.

Members of the Leeds business community will perform with a live band provided by Walker Morris and BDO Stoy Hayward to an audience of more than 400.

Judged by a panel, including Nicki Allen, senior vocal coach at Leeds College of Music and compered by Sky and BBC news anchor Adrienne Lawler, the contestants will all be hoping to snatch the crown from last year's winner, John Swarbrick at LDC.

For tickets, contact Mencap on 0207 696 6006 or [email protected] Tickets are priced at 30 with all proceeds going to charity.

Check in the dictionary, Ryanair

CREATIVE use of the English language reaches Diary from budget airline Ryanair. The group, which recently opened a base at Leeds Bradford airport, announced a hike in the cost of checking in baggage during July and August. "Ryanair, the world's favourite airline... will incentivise all of its passengers to travel light during the peak summer months by increasing checked-in baggage fees for July and August to 20 per bag," it said. Checking in baggage already cost 15 before the increase. Diary can think of a few words to describe the price hike. Incentive isn't one of them.

Chaos erupts for stranded executives

Volcanic ash has caused no end of disruption for Yorkshire businesses, with many stranded. Diary hears of an insolvency partner stuck in Mauritius, a finance director in Lanzarote, a property developer stranded in Majorca , a press officer in Chamonix and a corporate financier in Morocco. Still, hats off to those who managed to make the journey back. Diary hears of a director at a firm of advisors who was caught in Frankfurt on a client visit last week. Forced to abandon flight plans, he travelled by train from Frankfurt to Brussels, Brussels to London and finally back to Leeds from Kings Cross. What should have been a two-hour journey took 15 hours by rail.