Covering South London, Kent and the Sussex coast, Division H brings together a diverse mix of clubs – from city-based corporate clubs to long-standing community clubs and newer specialist clubs. What unites them is a shared commitment: helping members become more confident communicators and more capable leaders.
This year, Division H is focused on one clear aim:
to connect our clubs, grow our members, and develop leaders at every level.
Who We Are
Division H is made up of five Areas, each serving a distinct part of our geography:
- Area H15 – Area Director: Celia Edwards, DTM
Croydon Communicators, Liberty Speakers, Purley Speakers, The Speakers of Croydon - Area H32 – Area Director: Johnathan Kaye
Arun Speakers, County Communicators, Sussex Online Speakers, Worthing Speakers - Area H35 – Area Director: Andrew Smith
Beckenham Communicators, Bromley Speakers, Connected Speakers Bromley, Lewisham Speakers, Meridian Speakers - Area H37 – Area Director: Rosemary Dzikunu
Canterbury Communicators, Experience Yoruba, Kent Speakers, Toasted Sandwich, Tunbridge Wells Speakers - Area H55 – Area Director: Malcolm Braganza
Brighton & Hove Speakers, Eastbourne Speakers, Gatwick Communicators, Lewes Speakers
The Division is led by Division H Director, Monica Dragnescu, supported by this Area Director team and many dedicated club officers and members who give their time to keep meetings running and members progressing.
Our Focus for 2025–2026
In alignment with District 91 priorities, Division H is concentrating on four key areas:
- Club Quality and Member Experience
Supporting clubs to deliver structured, engaging meetings with clear opportunities for members to speak, take roles and progress through Pathways. - Education and Pathways Progress
Encouraging members to choose paths that support their professional and personal goals and helping clubs track and celebrate educational achievements throughout the year. - Leadership Development
Identifying and supporting current and future leaders at club, Area and Division level, ensuring they feel equipped, connected and recognised in their roles. - Inter-club Collaboration
Promoting cross-club visits, shared events and joint workshops so clubs don’t run in isolation, but benefit from each other’s ideas, strengths and experience.
Division H Highlights
Despite busy lives and changing work patterns, members across Division H continue to step up, compete, serve and grow.
Some key highlights so far:
- District Champion – Table Topics
Division H is proud to celebrate District 91 Table Topics Champion, Chris Billington, who brought the Table Topics trophy back to Division H. His achievement highlights the standard of impromptu speaking and the strength of our contest culture. - Strong Contest Participation
Clubs across all five Areas have fielded enthusiastic contestants and full contest teams at club, Area and Division level. Contests are still a valuable development platform for speakers, evaluators, contest chairs and functionaries alike. - Growing Confidence in Leadership Roles
Many members have taken on club officer roles for the first time this year. With the support of their Area Directors and experienced past officers, they are gaining practical leadership experience that directly transfers into their workplaces and communities. - Diverse Meeting Formats
From traditional evening clubs to lunchtime and online options, Division H offers a range of meeting formats. This flexibility helps attract and keep members with different schedules and needs, while preserving the core Toastmasters learning experience.
Addressing Challenges Together
Like most Divisions, Division H faces familiar challenges:
- maintaining membership momentum throughout the year
- balancing online, hybrid and in-person formats
- supporting officer teams who are juggling Toastmasters with demanding work and family commitments.
Our response is collaborative and practical:
- Area Directors are holding regular check-ins with club officers.
- Clubs are encouraged to use the Distinguished Club Programme as a live planning tool, not just an end-of-year report.
- Best practices, from guest follow-up to mentoring and role rotation, are being shared across Areas so no club feels it has to “reinvent the wheel”.
Looking Ahead
Over the rest of the year, Division H will:
- Continue to develop leaders by encouraging members to step into club and district roles, with mentoring and peer support.
- Promote joint events such as workshops, open houses and themed meetings across Areas to increase visibility and member engagement.
- Highlight success stories from clubs and individual members, highlighting how Toastmasters is impacting careers, businesses and communities across South London, Kent and Sussex.
A Final Word from Division H
Division H is built on the efforts of its members, the people who show up, take roles, give feedback, run meetings, and keep welcoming guests through the door.
To every member, officer and volunteer in Division H:
thank you for the time, energy and commitment you bring to your clubs and to District 91.
Together, we will continue to connect, grow and lead and ensure that Division H stays a strong, supportive and vibrant part of District 91.
Last Updated on 21st December 2025 by Allen Paul