Toastmasters International aims to empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.
Toastmasters International achieves this by building new clubs and supporting them.
Through Toastmasters’ support, each club provides a supportive and positive learning experience for their members, which empowers them to develop their communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.
Toastmasters began as a series of speaking clubs organized by Ralph C. Smedley during his time working for the YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) in Bloomington, Illinois, United States. As director of education at the YMCA, Smedley saw a need for the men in the community to learn how to speak, conduct meetings, plan programmes and work on committees, and he wanted to help them.
Smedley decided to organise a club where they could learn these skills in a social environment, and the men responded well to the concept. He named the group the Toastmasters Club; “toastmaster” was a popular term that referred to a person who gave toasts at banquets and other occasions. He held the first unofficial Toastmasters meeting on the 24th March 1905.
As a Toastmasters Club, we use Toastmasters International’s Pathways education programme, which helps you practise and grow over 300 practical workplace skills.
This path helps you build your skills as a strategic leader. The projects on this path focus on understanding leadership and communication styles, the effect of conflict on a group and the skills needed to defuse and direct conflict. These projects also emphasise the development of strategies to facilitate change in an organization or group, interpersonal communication and public speaking. This path culminates in a project focused on applying your leadership skills.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
This path helps you build your skills as a positive communicator and leader. The projects on this path focus on understanding and building consensus, contributing to the development of others by coaching and establishing strong public speaking skills. Each project emphasises the importance of effective interpersonal communication. This path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of your design.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
This path is designed to help you build your skills as a humorous and engaging public speaker. The projects on this path focus on understanding your sense of humour and how that sense of humour translates to engaging audience members. The projects contribute to developing an understanding of how to effectively use humour in a speech, including challenging situations and impromptu speeches. This path culminates in an extended humorous speech that will allow you to apply what you learned.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
This path helps you build your skills as a public speaker and leader. The projects on this path focus on developing a strong connection with audience members when you present, speech writing and speech delivery. The projects contribute to building an understanding of the steps to manage a project, as well as creating innovative solutions. This path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of your design.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
This path helps you build your skills as an effective communicator and leader. The projects on this path focus on learning how to manage time, as well as how to develop and implement a plan. Public speaking and leading a team are emphasised in all projects. This path culminates in the planning and execution of an event that will allow you to apply everything you learned.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
This path helps you build your skills as a powerful and effective communicator. The projects focus on learning strategies for building connections with the people around you, understanding motivation and successfully leading small groups to accomplish tasks. This path culminates in a comprehensive team-building project that brings all of your skills together—including public speaking.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
This path helps you build your skills as an innovative communicator and leader. The projects on this path focus on how to negotiate a positive outcome together with building strong interpersonal communication and public speaking skills. Each project emphasises developing leadership skills to use in complex situations, as well as creating innovative solutions to challenges. This path culminates in a “High Performance Leadership” project of your design.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
This path helps you build your skills as an accomplished public speaker. The projects on this path focus on learning how an audience responds to you and improving your connection with audience members. The projects contribute to developing an understanding of effective public speaking technique, including speech writing and speech delivery. This path culminates in an extended speech that will allow you to apply what you learned.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
This path helps you build your skills as a leader in communication. The projects on this path focus on understanding diversity, building personal and/or professional connections with a variety of people and developing a public relations strategy. Communicating well inter-personally and as a public speaker is emphasised in each project. The path culminates in a project to apply your skills as a leader in a volunteer organization.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
This path helps you build your skills as a collaborative leader. The projects on this path focus on active listening, motivating others and collaborating with a team. Each project contributes to building interpersonal communication and public speaking skills. This path culminates in a project focused on applying your leadership skills.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
This path helps you build your skills as a strategic communicator and leader. The projects on this path focus on developing your skills for sharing information with a group, planning communications and creating innovative solutions. Speech writing and speech delivery are emphasised in each project. This path culminates in the development and launch of a long-term personal or professional vision.
You’ll develop in the following areas:
Trafalgar Rowing Club (2nd Floor)
11 – 13 Crane Street
Greenwich
London SE10 9NP
Time: 18:45 – 21:00
Date: 2nd and 4th Tuesday every month
