Toastmasters Riverside Communicators, 44 York Street, London (2026)

03/09/2026

🌧️ Riverside Communicators | 2 September 2026 🌧️

With the theme “Petrichor”, this week’s meeting brought together inspiring speeches, first-time role holders, and plenty of laughter.

🎤 Rithika Srinivasan reminded us when we walk without any ego, we are the universe in Small Until You Aren’t.

🥾 Brendan McCormack shared lessons and adventures from The Unprepared Pilgrim, bringing his story to life through vocal variety and expressive body language.

⚽ Vikas Kumar demonstrated effective body language in The Four-Year Football Fan, proving once again that passion makes for great storytelling.

👏 Thank you to our evaluators Ben Griffiths, Charlotte Oliver, and Matthew Oultram for their thoughtful feedback and encouragement.

⏱️ A special shout-out to Abhinay Dinar, who took on the Timer role for the first time. Every Toastmasters journey starts somewhere, and we look forward to seeing many more roles and speeches ahead!

😂 Instead of our usual Table Topics session, members enjoyed a lively and insightful Humorous Speaking Workshop led by Glenn Savage. From crafting punchlines to using timing effectively, Glenn shared practical tips, memorable examples, and plenty of laughs along the way.

A huge thank you to Francesca Fabbri for expertly hosting the evening as Toastmaster, Richard Sharkey for serving as Acting President, Prabin Shrestha for welcoming our guests, and Michael Yogarajah for ensuring everyone felt part of the Riverside community.

Another evening of learning, laughter, leadership, and growth—exactly what Riverside Communicators is all about. 🚀

26/08/2026

📣 Join Us 2nd September 2026 - Wednesday at 7:30 PM!

Get ready for another engaging evening at Riverside Communicators!

🎤 The first part of the meeting will feature prepared speeches and evaluations, giving members the opportunity to develop their communication and leadership skills.

😂 Then, stay tuned for a special educational session on Humorous Speaking, delivered by our very own Glen Savage. Whether you’re looking to add more humour to your speeches, improve audience engagement, or simply enjoy a few laughs, this is a session you won’t want to miss.

We look forward to seeing members and guests there for an evening of learning, growth, and good humour!

📍 Riverside Communicators
🕢 7:30 PM Wednesday

22/08/2026

🌟 Riverside Communicators Meeting Highlights | Wednesday 19 August 2026 🌟

As the theme of the evening reminded us, “As One Season Ends, Another Begins,” Riverside Communicators once again brought together learning, laughter, leadership, and connection.

A warm welcome was provided by Fiona McFarland, our Meet & Greeter, while Francesca Fabbri opened the meeting as Sergeant at Arms. President Julian Ward welcomed members and guests, and Luke Thomas, our Toastmaster of the Day, expertly guided us through an engaging evening.

⏱️ Matthew Oultram kept everyone on time with precision and attention to detail, ensuring every speaker had their moment in the spotlight.

🔎 A special mention goes to Julian Ward in his role as Harkmaster. Rather than the traditional recap, Julian transformed the role into a Sherlock Holmes-themed quiz, complete with detective attire, challenging members to remember key facts, names, and moments from the meeting. With chocolates awarded to successful detectives, it was a creative twist that kept everyone engaged from start to finish.

🎤 Prepared Speech Highlights

🌍 James Rose delivered When the Green Turns Yellow, exploring climate change, our collective responsibility, and the impact of our actions on the world around us.

✨ Rithika Srinivasan presented That’s the Best I Could Do From Here, sharing a heartfelt story about the people in our lives who go above and beyond to help others, even when circumstances are working against them.

🏃 Ilya Sukhovalov entertained and inspired the audience with I Didn’t Expect From Running, reflecting on his journey from disliking running to genuinely enjoying it. His humour, storytelling, and expressive body language made the speech a standout performance of the evening.

🇮🇹 Francesca Fabbri concluded the speaking session with I Am an Italian, a True Italian, sharing her perspective on diversity, identity, and the importance of unity despite our differences.

👏 A huge thank you to our evaluators:

• Madhurantika Moulick
• Bhupinder Pannu
• Duncan Hammett
• Ben Griffiths

Their insightful evaluations provided valuable feedback, helping speakers continue their journey of growth and development.

🎙️ Praveen Shrestha, our Table Topics Master, challenged members with a series of entertaining impromptu speaking questions that felt more like an interview than a traditional Table Topics session—but were thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless!

🏆 Award Winners

🌟 Best Speaker — Ilya Sukhovalov
🌟 Best Evaluator — Ben Griffiths

And in another memorable Riverside moment, we celebrated three Table Topics winners, proving that the quality of impromptu speaking was exceptionally high throughout the evening.

From climate change and personal journeys to diversity, storytelling, and detective work, the evening offered something for everyone.

Thank you to all members, guests, speakers, evaluators, and role holders who contributed to another successful and enjoyable meeting.

Riverside Communicators continues to be a place where people build confidence, strengthen communication skills, and grow as leaders—one speech at a time.

05/08/2026

🌞 Riverside Communicators Meeting Highlights | Wednesday 5 August 2026 🌞

What do you get when you combine public speaking, summer outfits, great stories, and a room full of communicators? Another fantastic evening at Riverside Communicators!

This week’s meeting theme, “The Ultimate Summer Giveaway,” was chosen by our Toastmaster of the Day, Brendan McCormack, who went above and beyond to make the evening memorable. Not only did he encourage everyone to embrace the summer spirit, but he also introduced every participant with a personalised story—entirely from memory and without a single note in sight. An impressive feat and a brilliant way to bring the meeting to life.

President Julian Ward welcomed members and guests, shared club updates, and presented the evening’s awards.

⏱️ Linda Homewood kept us perfectly on time as Timer, while Rakhi Jain served as Grammarian, carefully listening for effective language, memorable phrases, and opportunities for improvement throughout the evening.

🎤 Prepared Speech Highlights

🕷️ Heather Baker opened the speaking session with Lessons from a Spider, delivering a beautifully structured speech with a captivating story and meaningful lessons woven throughout.

✨ Victoria Lawson presented This, That, or All of It and More, an inspiring speech that encouraged reflection and left the audience with plenty to think about.

🤝 Russell Searle delivered With a Little Help from Our Friends, combining warmth, humour, and engaging storytelling in a speech that resonated strongly with the audience and earned him the Best Speaker Award of the evening.

👏 A huge thank you to our evaluators:

• Madhurantika Moulick
• Vikash Kumar
• Michael Yogaraja

Their thoughtful feedback helped our speakers continue developing their communication and leadership skills.

💭 We also enjoyed a lively Table Topics session, followed by a detailed and insightful Table Topics evaluation from Charlotte Oliver, who carefully highlighted key strengths, speaking techniques, and areas for growth.

🏆 Award Winners

🌟 Best Speaker — Russell Searle
🌟 Best Evaluator — Michael Yogaraja

From summer-themed fun to inspiring speeches and engaging Table Topics, the evening struck the perfect balance between learning, laughter, and connection.

A huge thank you to all members, guests, speakers, evaluators, and role holders who contributed to another successful meeting.

Riverside Communicators continues to be a place where people build confidence, strengthen communication skills, and grow as leaders—one speech at a time.

See you at the next meeting! 🌟

Address

44 York Street
Twickenham
TW13BZ

Website

https://www.riversidecommunicators.org/

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