13/10/2026
๐ Riverside Communicators Meeting Highlights | Wednesday, 7 October 2026 ๐
Two Ice Breakers, a speech that had us laughing, exciting achievements, and plenty of opportunities to grow! Another fantastic evening at Riverside Communicators. ๐ค๐
๐ค A warm welcome to everyone!
Our Meet & Greeter, Farah Hussain, welcomed members and guests, while Luke Thomas, our Sergeant at Arms, officially opened the meeting. President Julian Ward welcomed everyone and presented the eveningโs awards. Our Toastmaster of the Day, Russell Searle, kept the meeting flowing smoothly.
โฑ๏ธ A big thank you to Agnieszka Sielaff, our Timer, and Michael Yogarajah, our Grammarian, for helping make the evening both organised and educational.
๐ค Prepared Speech Highlights
๐๏ธ Prabin Shrestha took us From the Himalayas to London in his Ice Breaker speech, sharing his journey and introducing us to his world.
โจ Saurav Dwivedi presented Standing Here as Myself, another Ice Breaker that gave us a glimpse into his personal journey and perspective.
๐ถ Fiona McFarland stole the spotlight with The Day Everything Went to the Dogs! With engaging humour, expressive body language, and fantastic vocal variety, she delivered one of the standout performances of the evening. Needless to say, this speech was anything but a ruff performance! ๐พ๐
๐ค Brian Carter also took to the stage, adding to an evening filled with learning and development.
๐ Thank you to our evaluators Rithika Srinivasan, Luke Thomas, Matthew Oultram, and Fiona McFarland for providing valuable feedback to help our speakers improve and grow.
๐ก Table Topics: Thinking on Your Feet
Our Table Topics Master, Farah Hussain, challenged members to think quickly and speak confidently, while Ilya Sukhovalov provided insightful evaluations to help everyone sharpen their impromptu speaking skills.
๐ Celebrating Our Achievements!
๐ Best Speaker โ Fiona McFarland
๐ Best Evaluator โ Ilya Sukhovalov
๐ Two Ice Breakers in One Evening! Congratulations to Prabin and Saurav on taking their first steps on their Toastmasters journeys.
A special congratulations to Rithika Srinivasan for completing Level 1 of her Toastmasters pathway. Another milestone worth celebrating! ๐
๐ The excitement continues!
With members gearing up for the upcoming contests, thereโs plenty to look forward to at Riverside Communicators. More speeches, more learning, more laughter, and more opportunities to shine!
Stay tuned for whatโs next. ๐