Making a Difference

Building Stronger Communities

Speak Up - Don't Be Shy!

Very few people are blessed with the ability to speak confidently in public  - for some people the very idea of standing up in front of a room full of people and talking is a truly harrowing one.  The Local Action Group, which runs the Moray Action for Communities Project, recognised this as a form of 'social exclusion' and was determined to do something about it.

An approach was made to Elgin Speakers Club.  The Club's Education Officer drew up an eight week course, allowing a mall group of students to meet using a formal meeting model.

Each week one of the students would act as Chair for the evening and another 3 students would prepare and present a 3 minute lecture on a subject of their own choosing.  The Course Tutor would then provide feedback to each student in the form of a verbal report.  The final week of each course was given over to a 'set piece' presentation with invited guests to add a little more spice.

Over an 18-month period 4 Speak Up courses were run with 40 students benefiting from them.

"I now feel a lot more confident that I can make my voice heard at meetings and that my opinion is being expressed."

"The support I received from Nick & his team have greatly enhanced my confidence.  I have since joined Elgin Speakers Club and take a great deal of enjoyment from the development of my social skills."