Hello and welcome to the Autumn 2019 newsletter
The days are growing shorter and the light is getting dimmer in the sky. After an abundance of sun, flowers & heat amid bouts of unceasing rain & boisterous winds- it’s now time to say goodbye to this year’s rather frenzied London summer.
But we hope you had a good one.
Lots of exciting things are happening at Bloomsbury Speakers. Our new committee team has now taken charge and is working hard to ensure the club runs smooth and fine. Check out who’s who here.
Feel free to reach out to our committee members for any questions about the club, membership fees, pathways, mentorship, or for any support you may need in your Toastmasters’ journey.
What’s in this newsletter?
- Contest season
- 10-year anniversary
- Beyond public speaking
- Club socials
- Events
- Useful links & upcoming meetings
- New members
Contest season
Autumn in the UK means it’s Humorous Speech & Table Topics contest season, and the Bloomsbury Speakers’ club contest date has been set for Monday, 30th September.
It’s a fun & unpredictable night of public speaking and all members of the club are eligible to compete.
- Humorous Speech contest involves contestants delivering a 5-7 minute prepared speech on a topic of their choosing.
- Table Topics contest involves delivering a 1-2 minute impromptu speech on a topic set by the contest chair. This could be about absolutely anything – so be ready to test your spontaneous speaking skills.
The winners of each contest will go up against the winners from the other clubs in our area – the date for the Area contest will be announced soon.
Members are encouraged to enter both contests, but we also need functionaries to help run the show on the night – contest chairs, timekeepers, a sergeant at arms and a couple of vote counters.
Do volunteer by signing up on EasySpeak or write to us at [email protected].
Be an audience
Even if you are not contesting, please do come along to the meeting. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn and pick up some handy speaking tips & tricks from our versatile speakers.
And our speakers could do with some cheering and encouragement too!
Judging the contest
Judges are normally invited from other Toastmasters clubs, which means we need our members to reciprocate by judging at their club contests. Please get in touch via [email protected] if you’re interested in helping out. It’s a great opportunity to see and judge some entertaining speeches from speakers outside our own club – and you don’t need any previous experience as a full briefing will be given in advance.
We are 10 years old! It’s time for a celebration
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Bloomsbury Speakers. Over the years we have grown as a club, improved our presence, won competitions, and helped our members become better public speakers. It’s time to celebrate our success and accomplishments.
To mark the occasion, we are holding two very special celebratory events!
1. Saturday, 26th October – dinner & drinks get together with all members and guests at old haunt, The Clerk & Well pub, more details on this to follow.
2. Monday, 28th October – we will be holding a special Toastmasters meeting featuring some of our most legendary members, past and present, performing speeches and functionary roles – including several former presidents of the club. This will be from 6:30pm at one of our more recent venues, The City Pride.
Formal invitations will go out nearer the time, but for now please save the dates in your diaries – we look forward to seeing you there!
Beyond public speaking
Our members are set to make a difference – and we are not just confined to our stage.
In July, our long-standing Toastmaster, Jamie completed a relay swim of the English Channel with 4 other people in her team, the Aspire Panthers – to raise money for the spinal injury charity Aspire.
They swam 21 miles in 16C water, swimming all through the night, with lots of jellyfish! It took them 13 hours and 8 minutes.
Earlier this month, our very own Chantal also completed a relay swim for Aspire. Chantal’s team – Aspire Tigers swam through the night and battled seriously rough waves to complete their Channel relay in 14 hours and 46 minutes. Chantal had the privilege of being the one to land in France!
It requires enormous courage and unceasing passion to swim in chilly waters and for gruelling hours. Well done to both of you!
To support the charity – Jamie & Chantal had also organised a fundraising pub quiz earlier this year and gave all members of Bloomsbury Speakers the privilege to be a part of the cause.
As a club, we are always keen on supporting training, workshops, charity events/ social activities organised by our members. If you are organising an event or have some interesting ideas to share with the club, please get in touch with our committee members or send us an email at [email protected].
Club socials
Another July highlight – our ex-president Peter Richardson celebrated his 28th birthday with the Bloomsbury bunch. Highlights of the evening – great food, music, dance, a friendly dog and polaroid camera – here are some cool pictures to relive the day.
What else to look out for?
Fancy an Autumn hike?
What better way to enjoy the Autumn colours – join us for an all-day hike on Sunday, 29th September followed by a pub dinner at the end of it.
Location TBC but it will be just a train ride from London.
For more updates, keep an eye on the Bloomsbury Speakers chat group or get in touch with our organiser Jamie for more info.
Bloomsbury Speakers Christmas party
The festive season is not far off and we have started gearing up for our club’s Christmas social which will take place on Saturday, 7th December.
Our very thoughtful Sergeants at Arms, Yassine & Sterling, are on the task of looking for possible venues, food & drink and entertainment options.
More details to follow closer to the time. Meanwhile, if you have any suggestions for the Christmas party feel free to drop these at [email protected].
Events you may be interested in
A Masterclass in Public Speaking & Presentation, by Kings Cross Speakers
Saturday, 28th September
This is an excellent course for anyone who wishes to improve public speaking or communication skills. The course will help you to:
- Develop skills, including voice, clarity, intonation and body language
- Prepare for a public speech, understand audiences and tailor the talk to different audiences
- Minimise nervousness and increase confidence
- Apply delivery techniques, including memorable delivery, how to use findings from science to increase effectiveness, how to create & maintain positive energy, persuasion, and how to combine all skills & knowledge gained for effective public speaking.
Investment: £30- £40
Timings: 10:30am – 5:00pm BST
Location: SamsungKX, Coal Drops Yard, Stable Street, Kings Cross N1C 4DQ
For full details and to register visit here
Other useful info
Need a mentor?
Need someone to guide, inspire and challenge you through your Toastmasters’ journey?
Anyone who joins Toastmasters can request for a mentor and at Bloomsbury Speakers, our experienced Toastmasters are always happy to help & support members. Do get in touch with our VP of Mentoring Stella for more info.
EasySpeak
Getting ready for the next meeting? The fastest way to book a role or a speech is through our website – using the handy EasySpeak feature. All you need is your login details – so do give it a go.
Check your progress
Want to check your next Pathways project? – Go to Base Camp on https://www.toastmasters.org/.
Base Camp is your online gateway to the Pathways learning experience – here you can work on projects, track your progress, connect with club members and have access to a wealth of useful resources, videos, tools & tips.
Upcoming meetings
Only six meetings left until the end of the year. Make sure you have booked your speeches!
- 23rd September
- 14th October
- 11th November
- 25th November
- 9th December
- 16th December
New members
Finally, we would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest members –Mykal, Joseph, Jeremy and Fabio. We look forward to hearing your ice breaker speeches soon.
