Cork Douglas Toastmasters Club is based in the Garryduff Sports Bar. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday night at 7.30pm, for a 7.45pm start, between August and May. Visitors to our club are guaranteed a warm welcome and we hope an enjoyable nights entertainment. We believe in promoting learning but always in a friendly and fun way.
Overcoming barriers to better communication.
The story of how Toastmasters membership helped our President Lisa Kelleher.
As a young person in school, I was always someone who struggled with communication and self belief, when asked to deliver a few prepared pieces either in school or outside of it to a larger audience, this was due to being born with Spina Bifida and not having skills to help aid recall. What really sparked my interest further to do something to help myself was a friend from the local organisation I was involved with, and who spoke to me in a local Gym on numerous occasions. He had been involved in a local Toastmasters Club, demonstrating the power of effective public speaking, when he spoke to me and other people. I have to say the man in question was a pleasure to listen to and was a seasoned Toastmaster. He explained to me that, I would evolve at my own pace, gently in a warm, friendly and supportive manner, make new friends and boost my goals. The option of getting a Mentor was offered to me also, this offer sounded good to me.
I remember thinking that this skill could help everyone in their everyday life, work, and social occasions. I was very ashamed of how my lack of self confidence from being builled in my early educational years, had made me doubt myself. There and then, I resolved to join Toastmasters as soon as I could, but a thing called life got in the way, until one day I gave myself a talking to, saying "Do something for yourself", so I got intouch with my friend for the next meeting details and the rest as they say is history. I am very happy in my club now since 2018-Present.
The opportunity happened in my life recently to gain permanent employment and this has been thanks to delevopment in my skills attained mainly from Toastmasters in recent years. I will be officially starting employment in the coming months thanks to the skills I have attained in Cork Douglas Toastmasters.
I have gained skills in leadership and improved my confidence immeasurably thus far. Since joining Toastmasters I have gone through a structure of developing from an Ice Breaker speech (the first one presented by any new member) through to becoming a confident speaker, Toastmasters has helped me so much in the area of communication, I also mentored a new member in the past year.
I feel more confident now as a communicator because of the friendly, supportive environment Toastmasters provides and I am no longer worried when asked to “say a few words”. I do however appreciate that for people in general there is always room for improvement.
Again, all of the changes to this aspect of my life have occurred gradually in a safe, friendly and supportive setting and I've managed to have a lot of fun in the process along the way. I could not recommend Toastmasters highly enough, especially Cork Douglas.
Thank you Toastmasters.
Lisa Kelleher,
President 2023/24,
Cork Douglas Toastmasters Club. |