Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to typical questions. If you have more, please feel free to contact us.

We meet twice a month (occasionally three times per month) on Tuesday evenings from 6.45 pm ready for a prompt start at 7.00 pm. We aim to finish the meeting at or soon after 9.00 pm. Some of us then stay on to socialise. We meet at the Trafalgar Rowing Club (upstairs) in the heart of Greenwich.

Find our when’s our next event.

Toastmasters International is a training and educational organisation which teaches its members a wide range of communication, leadership, training and management skills, and in doing so builds their self-confidence. It is the largest and most successful organisation of its type in the world.

It is a non-profit organisation run as a network of clubs led by volunteers for volunteers. Click here to learn more…

During the course of a meeting, we try and get as many participants speaking as possible. The
regular agenda offers lots of opportunities to work on your public speaking skills through prepared and
impromptu speeches.

Functionary roles like the Timekeeper, Topic Master and Evaluators are also excellent ways to
practise speaking in front of an audience, while performing an important function and working on your
leadership skills. All these activities encourage the Learning by Doing approach of Toastmasters.

To give you an idea of what happens on the night, here’s a brief agenda:

  • Introductions by the host and club functionaries
  • 2-4 prepared speeches by club members
  • Evaluations of prepared speeches
  • Short intermission
  • Table Topics (impromptu speeches of 1-2 minutes)
  • Evaluations and reports from club functionaries
  • Meeting wrap-up

No. You are not obligated to speak when visiting one of our meetings. You may simply observe if you
wish. But you are always welcome to take part in our Table Topics – voluntarily of course! And we do
enjoy hearing our guests’ feedback at the end of the meeting if they wish to share. =)

No. You are not required to bring anything to a meeting.

By regular practise, with immediate constructive feedback, you will learn many skills to help you communicate effectively and take the lead in a variety of social and professional situations. We become better speakers and listeners in many ways. Do visit us as our guest to see how you could benefit!

JOIN US TODAY!!!

All members follow the Toastmasters Education Programme Pathways – an exciting, flexible and
interactive way to develop communication and leadership skills. It gives you:

  • The opportunity to build  up to 300 unique competencies
  • 11 specialised learning paths to choose from
  • Online content, so that you can learn anytime, anywhere
  • Real-world, transferable skills

The programme takes you step by step through the art of making and evaluating speeches as well as
ways to take on leadership roles.

In particular you ‘learn by doing’ with your efforts evaluated by your fellow club members. You will be
gradually introduced to the various roles within a Toastmasters meeting. Gaining proficiency in these
helps build up your skills.

Members progress at their own pace. Some move faster than others but everyone who joins Meridian Speakers and participates in the programme can be sure they will become a competent speaker.

Along the way, they will also learn some helpful ways to take the lead in social, community and professional groups.

Your skills will develop steadily. As your confidence grows, the situations that once terrified you are taken in your stride. We help to turn fear into fun!

No. In fact in comparison to various courses, seminars and video programmes offered through the
media, Toastmasters International is the least expensive and in our opinion the most effective way to
learn public speaking and leadership skills.

Anyone over 18 may join if they support our approach. To see if you like it first, just come along to the
club as a guest. Visitors can attend free and are always assured of a friendly welcome without any
obligation.

If you do want to invest in your development and enjoy the learning, the ‘one-off’ enrollment fee is £25
which helps cover the cost of the training materials and Toastmaster International membership and
the membership fee is £70 for 6 months and £120 for 12 months. (This is reduced at present whilst
meetings are online as we do not have venue costs.) Toastmasters is a not for profit organisation.

Where are we located?

Trafalgar Rowing Club (2nd Floor)
11 – 13 Crane Street
Greenwich
London SE10 9NP

When are these meetings?

Time: 18:45 – 21:00
Date: 2nd and 4th Tuesday every month

(click here for calendar view)