Good Morning Victorians! ☀️

The past couple of months have been nothing short of extraordinary. It’s times like these I feel genuinely proud to be part of London Victorians. Honestly, it must be how Harry felt sitting under the Sorting Hat...

Toastmaster: "Please not Slytherin. Please not just any Toastmasters club."

Sorting Hat: "Not just any Toastmasters club, eh? I see leadership, laughter, and the power to pack out a 70-person Open House”

Sorting Hat: "Better be Gryffindor! London Victorians!"

So as we head into another exciting month, packed with our upcoming elections, a debate night, and more, let’s keep that magic alive.

Upcoming: Elections and Debate Night

It’s election season! Our committee is the heart of the club and we’re on the lookout for fresh energy, new ideas, and future leaders.

👉 Nomination Form
🗓️ Nominations close: 27 May
🗳️ Elections take place: 3 June
🔍 What do the roles involve? Find out here

Whether you're a first-year member or a seasoned speaker, there’s a role for you. Ask any current committee member what it’s like, it’s a brilliant way to develop leadership skills and shape the club’s future.

Also this month: Debate Night. This isn’t PMQ’s so there really is no pressure, just bring your wits and willingness to spar. We still need more participants, so jump in.

 Club Update

Open House Meeting, 8th April 2025

With over 70 attendees, our recent Open House was standing-room only, high energy, high turnout, and high praise all around. The buzz from that evening is still carrying into our weekly meetings. Watch our highlight reel here.

👏 Huge thanks to Nick R for the incredible organisation behind the scenes.

But how did we do it? Putting on something of this scale takes more than just enthusiasm. At Toastmasters, you don’t just learn public speaking, by helping run events like this, you get a crash course in sales, marketing, and operations. A mini MBA, if you like.

Here are the secrets behind our success, courtesy of Florian:

• 🎟️ Make it ticketed – Charging £5 meant fewer no-shows and more committed guests. It also raised the bar for the experience we delivered.

• 🤝 Build a real team – Nearly 20 members got involved, from planning to pizza. Big events need broad shoulders.

• 🎯 Set clear goals early – We locked the format and theme six weeks out. Everything flowed from that focused value: practical, high-impact public speaking tips.

• 📣 Market like you mean it – Eventbrite, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, video ads, posters, and personal invites. It all added up to a full house.

Want to help shape the next one? Elections are coming up…

6 Pathways Achievements

We’re celebrating the members who’ve hit major milestones in their Toastmasters journey this month. These achievements reflect consistent growth, commitment, and some fantastic speeches:

• Natalie Kay – Completed Innovative Planning Path

• Nonika Kotsali – Presentation Mastery Level 2

• Lucy Gray – Visionary Communication Level 2

• Charles Mingay – Dynamic Leadership Level 1

• Josh Puddle – Dynamic Leadership Level 1

• Sam Yates – Presentation Mastery Level 3

If you’re nearing a Pathways milestone, check your progress on Basecamp or speak to Krishna, who’s kindly keeping track.

We Did It: President’s Distinguished Club!

It’s official, London Victorians is now a President’s Distinguished Club for 2024, the highest accolade a Toastmasters club can earn.

We’ve achieved 9 out of 10 goals on the Distinguished Club Programme — a true reflection of the energy, commitment, and excellence our members bring week after week.

And we’re just one Level 2 completion away from a perfect 10/10 score. If you’re nearly there, this is your moment to help us finish on a high.

👏 A huge thank you to Krishna for meticulously tracking our Pathways progress, and to Natalie for her steady and inspiring leadership throughout the year.

Whether you’ve spoken, mentored, signed up, or cheered from the front row, this milestone is yours. Let’s keep the momentum going.

 Member Spotlight: Saloni

This month, we’re shining the spotlight on Saloni, a member whose energy and creativity have brought a real spark to the club. Whether she’s delivering brilliantly imaginative speeches or stepping up as Toastmaster for the evening.

Reflecting on your journey, how has Toastmasters helped you in your personal and professional life?

Toastmasters has had a hugely positive impact on both my personal and professional life. It’s helped me build confidence in social situations and high-stakes meetings, where I used to feel nervous. It’s also improved my organisational skills whether it’s planning a Toastmasters meeting or managing events at work. Most importantly, it’s taught me that people are more supportive than we think, and that stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to real growth and meaningful connections.

If you could deliver a speech to any audience in the world, who would it be and why?

I’d love to speak to children who struggle with confidence whether academically or socially. I’d want to show them that public speaking isn’t as scary as it seems, and that with the right support, anyone can find their voice. I’d love the speech to focus on how children can get involved with public speaking at a young age, as it’s one of the most powerful ways to build lasting self-confidence and learn to express themselves with clarity and courage. I honestly wish I had discovered this sooner as it would’ve made such a difference in my own journey.

What’s a public speaking tip or technique you swear by?

One technique I swear by is signposting clearly outlining what you’re going to talk about as you move through your speech. It keeps your audience engaged, helps you stay on track, and makes your transitions feel seamless.

15 New Members

We’re excited to welcome our newest members to the London Victorians family! This month, we’re thrilled to introduce one of our largest intakes in the club’s history - 15 new members, we Say Hello to:

Enlightening Insights

Beyond the Club: The Moth GrandSLAM

Love storytelling? Don’t miss this:
🎟️ The Moth GrandSLAM – Southbank Centre

A real-life storytelling championship. Raw, powerful, and inspiring. If you’ve ever wanted to see what great storytelling looks like in action, this is your night.

Feedback Zone

Got ideas to elevate our club or jazz up our events and newsletter? Share your thoughts at [email protected] and help shape our future!