Jeevan George

May Reflections: Root to Rise Together

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May has been a month of inspiration and connection at our incredible District 91 Conference: Root to Rise held at the beautiful De Vere Latimer Estate.

What an inspirational weekend it was!

From powerful real-life stories of overcoming setbacks and self-doubt to thought-provoking discussions on AI and the future of leadership, every session reminded us that finding your voice can truly change lives. The conference beautifully reflected the diversity, courage and resilience within our Toastmasters community. We were able to showcase some of the
specialist clubs in our district too.

The speech contests showcased some of the very best speakers in the district, with exceptionally high standards across both the International Speech Contest and Evaluation Contest. Every contestant brought passion and authenticity to the stage, making the experience unforgettable for everyone in the audience. Congratulations to our District 91 champions.

International Speech contest winners

Evaluation Speech contest winners

We wish them every success at the next stage of their Toastmasters journey.

There was plenty of joy too, singing “Volare,” dancing together at the gala dinner and sharing laughter late into the evening. These are the moments that remind us that Toastmasters is
more than communication and leadership. It is about friendships, belonging and shared experiences.

A huge thank you goes to Pearl and the entire conference team for delivering a great event despite all the last-minute challenges. Conferences of this scale do not happen overnight. They are built through months of planning, teamwork, problem-solving and dedication from volunteers working tirelessly behind the scenes. Your efforts created a truly memorable experience for our members and guests alike. We are also grateful to our supporters who helped make the conference experience so special.

If any one would like to be involved or interested in being a conference chair for future conferences, please send an email to conference@d91toastmasters.org.uk

Celebrating Club & Member Excellence

We are delighted to recognise the 4 th club to achieve the prestigious Smedley Distinguished Club status, a reflection of strong commitment to excellence.
Congratulations to the clubs reaching this milestone: PMI UK Toastmasters Club from L16.

Division Area Club Name
B 8 Tube Talk Toastmasters
C 5 Bloomberg London Toastmasters
D 20 Sustainable Speakers Online
L 16 PMI UK Toastmasters Club

As we approach the end of the Toastmasters year, this is also a gentle reminder for members to ensure that all completed educational levels are submitted and updated in Pathways. Every level achievement matters and contributes not only to your personal growth but also to your club, area, division and district success. We are at 81 Distinguished clubs and we will see many more joining the ranks soon. A special thank you also goes to all our Division Directors and Area Directors who have supported clubs tirelessly throughout the year. From conducting Area Director visit reports to mentoring club officers, encouraging quality meetings, guiding clubs toward Distinguished status, your leadership and commitment have played a vital role in helping clubs pursue excellence for their members.

Educational Achievements

Celebrating Excellence till date

Educational Awards: 1068 educational awards till date for 2025-26.

Education Awards Member Achievements Total
Level 1 441
Level 2 266
Level 3 171
Level 4 121
Level 5 60
Distinguished Toastmaster 9
Total 1068

Triple Crown Award Winners: 47 Triple crown awards achieved till date for 2025-26 with 12 winners in May’26

Month Club Name Member Name
May-26 Legacy Speakers Brixton Beverley Daniel – Blugh, PM5 (2nd Triple Crown this year)
May-26 London Olympian Speakers Toastmasters Joann Walsh
May-26 Polish Your Polish Arkadiusz Dudek
Mar-26 PMI UK Toastmasters Club Grace Nabatanzi
May-26 Hamwic Speakers Tom Primrose
May-26 Early Bird Speakers Hary Bell
May-26 Casterbridge Speakers Beverley Hepting, PM3
May-26 Early Bird Speakers Christine H. Wallach, DTM
May-26 db Toastmasters – Canary Wharf Elaine Kelly, DTM
May-26 Connected Speakers Georgios Apostolakis, PM4
May-26 Malvern Speakers Isaac Baker, PM3
May-26 PMI UK Toastmasters Club Rajan Jesuraj, PM2
May-26 PMI UK Toastmasters Club Ranjit Shergill, PM4

Many congratulations, you inspire us all.

Important Reminder: Pathways Price Increase

Toastmasters International has announced that the cost of purchasing a new Pathways learning path will increase from $20 to $35 effective 1 July 2026. Members considering starting an additional path are encouraged to take advantage of the current pricing before 30 June 2026. Now is a wonderful opportunity to continue investing in yourself.

Using Our Voices to Create Impact

Toastmasters skills extend far beyond our clubs and workplaces, they help us create real impact in our communities. This month, Janet and I had the privilege of attending the 50th anniversary garden party at Buckingham Palace celebrating the work of The King’s Trust. One of the most rewarding moments was seeing the young people we had mentored now thriving as Young Ambassadors, confidently sharing their stories and inspiring others. It was a powerful reminder that encouragement, mentoring and helping someone find their voice can truly change lives.

As we move into the final stretch of the Toastmasters year, let us carry forward the spirit of Root to Rise, continuing to learn, connect, encourage and grow together.

 

Four New Clubs and Fresh Opportunities for Growth

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The end of April, beginning of May has been another busy period, with a visit from our International Director, Corporate Award visits, our District Council meeting and Elections, our fabulous District Conference, notification of the Talk Up Toastmasters Award winners and, I am delighted to say, we have added four new clubs to our Toastmasters Family.

New Clubs

Lets give a very warm welcome to the following newly chartered clubs:

  • Ciso Speakers Toastmasters
    o A specialist club focusing on Cyber Security, meeting 3 rd Thursday 6pm
  • Excalibur Online Global Speakers (EOGs)
    o An Advanced Club meeting, 1 st & 3 rd Wednesday 7pm
  • Hemel Speakers
    o A local community club, meeting 1 st & 3 rd Thursday 7.30pm
  • Pen Test Parables
    o A corporate club, meeting times to be confirmed

Congratulations to all the Sponsors and Presidents who brought these clubs to life; Andy Green, Nicola Ferrari, Andrew Bennett, Samir Malak, Sujanth Sivanesan, Imke Hoffman and James Beamish. As well as the home team, Ramesh Hali Demo Lead, Mary-Anne Ledger Division B Director, Alison Morris Division J Director and everyone else who gave a helping hand. Ciso and EOGs go into Division B, Hemel and Pen Test into Division J.

EOGs, Hemel and Pen Test were all started by current Toastmasters, so if you have an idea for a club in your Area; Community, Specialist or Corporate please do let us know.
club.growth.director@d91toastmasters.org.uk

Delighted to do an Area Visit to Ciso and see them in action for their first meeting

Delighted to be going to Excalibur’s online charter party on Wednesday 27 th May

It was wonderful to see Hemel Founders Sujanth and Imke at the D91 Conference

Pen Test are currently planning their first meeting since chartering.

Talk Up Toastmasters Award

I am finally able to announce the winners of the Talk Up Toastmasters Award. Apologies for the delay, Head Office were behind schedule. Congratulations to all of the following clubs who added five or more new, dual or reinstated members between 1 st February and 31 st March 2026. It was great to see clubs adding five to 16 members. All will be recognised by both Head Office and District. Well done.

Beat the Clock

And remember we are in another club building incentive period with Beat the Clock. It is a race to the finish between 1st May and 30th June. Once again, Clubs will be recognised by both TMI and District 91 where we offer £25 to 25 clubs who bring in five new, dual or reinstated members. Many clubs are planning Open Houses to help increase membership, so go on, invite your friends, family and colleagues, let them see the wonders of Toastmasters and what it can do for them.

Back to Charter Strength

We challenged all those clubs that started the Toastmaster year on 1st July under charter strength, which is less than 20 members, to grow. We challenged the clubs to get back to 20 by adding a minimum of plus five, new or re-instated members. I am delighted to say that nine clubs achieved this, some adding not just five but up to 10 new members. A fabulous effort and achievement, setting these clubs up for a stronger start to the next Toastmaster year. If your club is under 20 members you still have time to add more with the Beat the Clock incentive above. A stronger club ensures meeting roles are more easily filled, prevents member burnout, and creates high energy meetings.

Congratulations go to the following clubs.

  • Canary Wharf Communicators Club
  • Gatwick Communicators
  • Meridian Speakers Club
  • Northern Lights Speakers Club
  • Romford Speakers
  • Spinnaker Speakers
  • St Pauls Speakers
  • Sussex Online Speakers
  • Thamesdown Speakers Club

 

Anniversaries

Another way to attract guests and potential members is to have an Anniversary celebration.

Congratulations go to:

Club Name Month Year Years
Brighton & Hove Speakers May 2001 25
Woking Speakers Toastmasters May 2006 20

May data – Based on the Official Charter Date

Top Tip
Borrowed from one of the presenters at conference:

Toastmasters is not about perfection, it’s about progress. So grab the opportunity and give it a go. Whether it’s doing your first speech, running an Open

 

From Conference to Club Growth: What’s Next This Month – April CGD Update

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Another busy month has passed. The Global Toastmasters campaign and our second digital campaign both came to a close. Our Tube campaign was featured in the Region 10 newsletter. Renewals closed at the ed of March, though late payers are still coming in. The talk up Toastmasters incentive closed at the end of March and we excitedly await confirmation from Toastmasters
International for confirmation of the winning clubs.

On top of all that we are in the middle of contest season with Areas and Divisions running some fabulous sessions. I was delighted to attend both Division H (Feature pic) and J this time around. The joyful J’s made sure we didn’t go hungry with a wonderful array of cakes which were delicious, thankyou.

Root to Rise
I’m very much looking forward to seeing all the Division contest winners at our ‘Root to Rise’ Conference on 2-3 rd May at the De Vere Latimer Hotel. I have my ticket, do you have yours? It will be a wonderful celebration as we welcome in the new District Leaders (see article below), congratulate our speaking finalists and enjoy keynotes from talented professionals.

Club Anniversaries
I love a celebration and I hope these clubs are celebrating their club anniversaries.
Whether 1 or 20 years it is great achievement.

Congratulations go to:

Club Month Years
Canary Wharf Communicators Club April 2006 20
Angel Speakers April 2011 15
Woodford Green Speakers April 2011 15
Ascot and Bracknell April 2016 10
Columbia Threadneedle Investments April 2025 1
HSBC 8CS London Toastmasters April 2025 1

April data – Based on the Official Charter Date

Beat the Clock
Celebrating your success is a fabulous way of bringing people together so why not join in the May incentive, Beat the Clock. Starting on the 1 st May and running until 30 th June. Clubs will be recognised by both TMI and District 91 where we offer £25 to 25 clubs who bring in five new, dual or reinstated members. And it is rare we get 25 clubs! Many clubs are planning Open Houses to help increase membership, so go on, invite your friends, family and colleagues, let them see the wonders of Toastmasters and what it can do for them.

 

Remember you can bring guests to both in person, hybrid and online clubs. Sustainable Speakers is an online specialist club with speeches all about sustainability. Running at over 30 members they
keep their membership high through inviting guests. See their article below.

Club Mentoring
We always look to increase membership to share what we know with others. We also look to increase clubs and very soon we will be adding a few more clubs to our Toastmasters family so watch this space.

When new clubs come on board we want to, not just welcome them but support them so they get the best possible experience. We do that by assigning Mentors to each club. We usually add two for
a period of six months, which is just six meetings each. Could you help a new club and be a mentor?

Become a Club Mentor

You can become a Club Mentor if…….

  • You’ve been a Toastmaster for a while and have completed two pathways levels.
  • You’ve been a club Officer
  • You are looking for a short-term project
  • You’d like to attain your Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award
  • You’d just recognise the value of new clubs bringing more opportunities to people to grow within this amazing organisation you’ve found your own voice in

Once you are mentoring, Simon McKee and / or Casper Willcock our Club Coach and Club Mentor Leads will be there to support you in your journey too. Interested then email Simon McKee at
Mckeesimon@gmail.com and the team will find the right new club for you to work with.

What is a Trio Member?
Mentoring is one way of stepping up to leadership and there are many others. The other day someone asked me ‘When you joined Toastmasters, did you always want to be a Trio member?’ That made me laugh, as back then I had no idea what a Trio member was and I guess many of you don’t either.

The Trio: Lynne Gayer-Club Growth Director, Seema Menon-Programme Quality Director, Debbie Williams-District Director,

When Members join Toastmasters they join a Club. A Club belongs to an Area that belongs to a Division that belongs to a District that belongs to a Region that belongs to Toastmasters International. Clubs have anything from 8 members upwards it could be as many as 80 or more. An Area has four to six clubs, a Division has four to six Areas and a District can have up to nine Divisions. We are District 91, UK South and we are part of Region 10, along with seven other Districts, including District 71 which covers the other part of the UK, Scotland and Ireland.

Clubs have Club Officers who run the meetings and support their members. Areas have Area Directors who provide support to their clubs, organise Club Officer Training and the Area Contests. The Division Director supports the Area Directors, ensures everything goes to plan, the Division goals are met and organises the Division Contests. The District and achievement of its goals are the responsibility of the District Leadership team. Like every other leader they are both members and volunteers. The three main roles at District level, the Trio, are the District Director, Programme Quality Director and the Club Growth Director. The Trio are supported by the Public Relations Manager, the Finance Manager, the Administration Manager and the Immediate Past District Director. Many of these having additional teams to cover everything that needs to be done, so there are plenty of opportunities to step up to help.
No one can join Toastmasters and suddenly become a Trio member. Like several other positions they have had to have done various roles first so they have an understanding of Toastmasters. The roles,
just like a club Officers, last for a year. Whereas the Area Director positions are elected at Area Council meetings in April. The Trio roles and Division Directors are positions that are elected at the
May conference by members of the District Council. The District Council includes current District Leaders, Division Directors, Area Directors, Club President and Club Vice Presidents Education.

 

L to R Back row – Steve Vear-Immediate Past District Director, Deborah Stevens-Administration Manager, Guler Gortis-Finance Manager, Allen Paul-Public Relations Manager
Front row- The Trio: Seema Menon-Programme Quality Director, Debbie Williams-District Director, Lynne Gayer-Club Growth Director.

Beyond the Click: Building Real Community in an Online Toastmasters Club

 

Sustainable Speakers is one of only a handful of Toastmasters clubs with a focus on sustainability. Founded in 2023 by Colette Ainscough, Kavita Dulai, and Shirley Gallagher, we meet on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month, and as a fully online club, our members span the globe. That global reach, however, comes with a unique challenge: the passive guest, hidden behind a turned-off camera, who vanishes the moment the meeting ends.

Public Relations and Membership are very much a team effort, each led by one of our founders. Colette (VPPR) leads branding and outreach, including AI-assisted identification of sustainability-focused NGOs and SDG organisations, supported by a small PR team. In parallel, Kavita (VPM) leads membership conversion with her own team, ensuring no interested guest slips through the net. Together, they form two halves of the same pipeline: Colette fills the room, Kavita makes people want to stay.

The Math of Online Growth: 15% is the New 100%

For those accustomed to face-to-face clubs, a 15% conversion rate might sound modest. In a physical club, conversion can approach 100%, a guest who travels to a venue has already committed. Online, the front door is the entire world, but so is the competition. Guests can join silently, cameras off, and disappear with a single click. A 10% conversion rate is generally considered strong for virtual clubs. At 15%, Sustainable Speakers is comfortably ahead of the curve, and the results speak for themselves. Since chartering in August 2023 with 20 members, we have grown to a community of 32, a 60% increase driven not by transfers from other clubs, but by genuinely new voices.

Our “Sandwich” Strategy

True growth means attracting people who have never set foot in a Toastmasters meeting before. To do this, we have built a system that we feel works very well:

  • The 15-Minute Warm-Up: Guests are encouraged to join early and find a live, relaxed conversation already underway, not a silent screen and a countdown
  • The Option to Engage: Guests may join Table Topics, but there’s no Cameras off is always respected. We meet people where they are.
  • After Eight: Once the formal meeting ends at 8:00 PM, the timer pressure Guests unmute, turn on their cameras, and discover we’re a community of real people. This is where visits become memberships.

The final piece is persistence. Within 24 hours of the After Eight chat, Kavita or Ron reaches out personally to the guests, not with a membership form, but with a conversation. A one-to-one Zoom call to understand the guest’s goals, hear their story, and show them where they fit. Guests who take that call almost always join.

Since chartering in August 2023 with 20 members, Sustainable Speakers has grown to 32, a 60% increase- and built one genuine connection at a time. If your club is wrestling with online conversion, the answer might be simpler than you think: stop trying to convert guests, and start trying to know them.

 

Top Tip from Kevin Harrington Area Director

Are you on the Toastmasters education programme, Pathways?

  •  If not, don’t be robbed, that is what you pay for. With the education programme you will
    see progress in your communication, presentation and leadership skills.
  • You will want to keep renewing to gain more and more and you will. That is the reason so
    many of us stay and renew, year after year. Pick a path and give it a go.

    •  To log into your Toastmasters Pathways education program, visit toastmasters.org,
      log in with your email and password, then click “Go to Base Camp” under the Pathways banner. Select “Log in as a Member” to access your curriculum, education transcript, and digital projects

 

 

Nearly 1,000 Achievements… And We’re Not Done Yet – April Reflections – PQD

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April has been a powerful reminder of what makes our district truly special, our members and our leaders who are volunteers working towards a common goal.

Our recent District Officer Training was a resounding success, not just in execution, but in spirit. What stood out most was seeing our Area Directors and Division Directors lead exceptional training sessions on topics such as Area Director visits, Succession Planning and Pitfalls. The ever-engaging Quizmaster even tested our knowledge, with the added allure of sweets!

There is something incredibly inspiring about leaders who actively contribute, share and elevate others. It reinforced a simple truth: Toastmasters doesn’t just build leaders for today; it nurtures a strong and capable leadership pipeline for the future.

Across the district, Division Contests have now been successfully completed. These contests are more than competitions, they showcase courage and excellence. Having had the privilege of attending some division contests, I witnessed firsthand the dedication of contestants, the commitment of organisers and the supportive energy of our members. The standard of our speakers continues to rise, and with it, so does the pride we feel as a district.

On a personal note, one of the highlights this month was revisiting Toastmasters at BBC – this time not as a sponsor, but simply as a proud Toastmaster. Hearing the President share his personal story with such vulnerability was deeply reassuring as it reinforced what Toastmasters truly stands for: a safe space to share, make mistakes and grow together as a community which is especially meaningful in times when there is uncertainty and change around us. Experiencing the club from this perspective was both nostalgic and fulfilling, reminding me of the journeys we take within Toastmasters and the lasting impact we create.

 

Another exciting development has been the collaboration between Toastmasters and Rotary through Speechcraft initiatives organised at PMI Toastmasters Club. These programs are opening up meaningful avenues for impact by combining communication, leadership and community service. It is encouraging to see how these partnerships are expanding our reach and empowering individuals beyond our immediate network.

Celebrating Excellence

Heartfelt congratulations to all our Quarterly Incentive winning clubs for Q3.
https://d91toastmasters.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Q3-Results.xlsx.pdf

We celebrate your success and look forward to seeing even more clubs achieve excellence and finish the year strong.
We also take this moment to celebrate the incredible achievements across our district:

Education Awards

Member Achievements
Level 1 401
Level 2 236
Level 3 150
Level 4 108
Level 5 56
Triple Crown 35
Distinguished Toastmaster 9
Total 995

We are hopeful that soon we will also celebrate Accredited Speaker achievements within our district — an exciting milestone to look forward to.

We are incredibly proud to welcome our third Smedley Distinguished Club,  Bloomberg London Toastmasters (Division C, Area 5) to our growing list of excellence!

They now join the ranks of our outstanding clubs:
Tube Talk Toastmasters (Division B, Area 8)
Sustainable Speakers Online (Division D, Area 20)

Here’s to continuing to inspire voices across our community!

Triple Crown Award Winners (the ones that were achieved at the end of March included)

Month Club Name Member Name
Mar-26 PMI UK Toastmasters Club Grace Nabatanzi
Mar-26 London Olympian Speakers Toastmasters Club Jyothi Banday, VC2
Apr-26 Bloomberg London Toastmasters Nivetha Sundar
Apr-26 Shilling Speakers Anthony Garvey, DTM
Apr-26 Surbiton Speakers Deon Barnard, PI2
Apr-26 Cardiff Toastmasters Jean Gamester, DTM, PID
Apr-26 Wokingham Speakers Steve Catchick, DTM
Apr-26 Experience French Suzanne S. Auchterlonie, EH4

Your dedication to personal growth continues to inspire us all.

Root to Rise Conference

We are counting days until our upcoming Root to Rise Conference. With an inspiring lineup of exceptional speakers, debate session, panel discussions, an AI track exploring the future of communication and leadership, the conference promises to be a space for collaboration and celebration.

It is a fantastic opportunity to learn, connect and grow and we look forward to seeing many of you there.

As we move forward, let’s carry this momentum with us, continuing to support one another, simplify where we can and build sustainably for the future.

Here’s to finishing the year strong, together.

Lessons from Hosting “Ditch the Nerves”: Thank Goodness I Ditched the Nerves

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My Toastmasters journey began in 2015 in India, and as I moved for work to Malaysia and now in the United Kingdom, the journey continued, including becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster in 2021. Along the way, I have been a member of community clubs, corporate clubs, language clubs, virtual clubs each adding something unique to my growth.

However, this article is not about the geographical journey. It is about where it pushed me personally, completely out of my comfort zone.

When I was approached to host the District 91 podcast series Ditch the Nerves, my reaction was mixed, excited about the opportunity, yet apprehensive about whether I had the technical skills. I accepted the role not because I was good at it, but precisely because I was not. And in a world where digital communication and on-camera presence are increasingly important, I saw this as a structured opportunity to learn by doing.

After hosting six episodes in the past six months, three key learnings stand out.

1. Toastmasters is Where ‘Oops’ is Encouraged
This experience reinforced a core belief: Toastmasters is one of the safest environments for learning something new. I stepped into this role with more questions than answers. I had limited experience with social media, no background in podcast hosting, and no technical exposure to video production or editing. There were technical struggles, frustrating moments and plenty of small mistakes along the way. But what stood out was that none of it felt uncomfortable in the way failure often does elsewhere. Instead, I could experiment and fail, which allowed me the much-needed space to gain new skills.

A common tendency is to wait until one feels fully prepared before taking on new responsibilities. Toastmasters works on the opposite principle. It is designed for individuals who are not yet ready but are willing to learn.

Progress begins with practice, not perfection.

2. Unfortunately, No Fast Track Exists.. I Tried
I had assumed the most difficult aspect would be video production and editing. I was wrong. With today’s accessible tools and resources, I was able to learn basic video editing through
trial and error. Of course, improvement is ongoing.

Rather, I had assumed I would be comfortable being the host. I was wrong. Being on camera, actively listening, and responding to the guest in real time – turned out to be my biggest stretch.

Learning lies in living it.

3. Every Expert Was Once a Beginner
A meaningful aspect of this role was the opportunity to interact with senior leaders of Toastmasters International, who have demonstrated high achievement within Toastmasters and beyond. Yet, what stood out most was their humility, simplicity, and openness in sharing their personal journeys.

They spoke candidly about how they often started from scratch, facing the same uncertainties and challenges that many of us experience today. Their stories of early struggles reinforced
an important realization: no one is born as an expert communicator or leader; struggles are real.

Mastery comes through mistakes, mindfulness, and meaningful practice.

Ditch the Nerves!
Hosting Ditch the Nerves helped me do exactly that, ditch the fear of not knowing, not being ready, and not being perfect. If you are considering taking up a role in the coming term, my advice is simple: go for it. You will gain far more than you think, and certainly more than you give.

Madhurantika Moulick, DTM
Immediate Past President
Riverside Communicators
District 91, Area D 29