1st London Toastmasters History
A London Club with a Global Heart: The Story of 1st London
Since receiving our charter on 7 June 2010, 1st London has become one of the city’s most vibrant, accomplished, and welcoming speaking clubs. With many members from all corners of the world, we’re not just a club—we’re a mini–United Nations, where cultures fuse, ideas flourish, and friendships span continents.
Why travel the globe when the world comes to you? At 1st London, every meeting is a journey—a chance to learn from diverse voices, share stories, and grow together. Members may come and go as life takes them across borders, but our spirit of connection and encouragement remains constant.
Built by Leaders, Sustained by Passion
Our club’s success is thanks to the dedication of volunteer leaders—presidents and committees who’ve steered us forward with vision, vitality, and verve. Over the years, we’ve also found new homes, each adding to our story, before settling at our current venue: the University of Law, where leaders are made and ideas meet inspiration.
Join Our Story—Past, Present, and Future
When you join 1st London, you become part of something greater: a club with a rich history, a thriving present, and an exciting future.
We owe immense gratitude to Stephen Ackroyd, Sarah Gilfillan, Hinesh and Judy De Hellner for transforming our club’s aural history into this written legacy—a gift for future members to cherish, learn from, and build upon.
In this section of our website, we celebrate the leaders and the capacity to overcome existential challenges that have made 1st London a thriving community:
Home Hunting
1st London’s hunt for a home is a story of resolve, resilience, and resourcefulness. It demonstrates the tirelessness, passion, and commitment of those who volunteered to lead the club. The saga showcases the steadfast spirit of our former leaders, who went from scrambling for space to sidestepping financial freefall. Their dedication defied the odds, and the challenges forged the fortitude on which we continue to build.
2010
1st London held its first meeting on Tuesday, January 19, 2010, in The Red Lion, a city pub.
2010 – 2011
La Fenice Rossa – Cellar Meeting Room (Houndsditch). This place is no longer there.
2011 – 2012
The Spectator pub, now called Lamb and Trotter in Little Britain. Great cellar area with loads of
room
2012 – 2013
Briefly moved back to La Fenice Rossa – Cellar Meeting Room (Houndsditch). Unfortunately, we were eventually kicked out of La Fenice because the management got fed up with the club taking all the chairs from upstairs, so we moved to Balls Bros Austin Friars (basement area).
2013 – 2014
For a time, we became known as “1st London Nomads”; – a club without a permanent home, migrating between venues across the city. Our growing popularity became both a blessing and a challenge, with meetings in the Balls Bros basement so packed that latecomers would spill out the doors, left hoping for standing room. The “first come, first served”; seating policy was far from ideal for a club built on inclusion.
President Richard White made the bold, game-changing decision to secure dedicated space at the Novotel Tower Bridge meeting rooms. This strategic move not only solved our capacity issues but marked a significant transition from our nomadic roots to establishing more professional foundations.
2014 – 2015
Our tenure at the Novotel Tower Bridge’s basement meeting room was… eventful. While this became our primary home, we became adept at hotel-hopping whenever the space was unavailable, perfecting the art of the mobile Toastmasters meeting. The Novotel management eventually decided our Monday night gatherings weren’t profitable enough (despite their room sitting empty most Mondays). Their solution? Doubling our fees – a not-so- subtle hint to move on.
Suddenly, we were nomads again, facing what members still call “The Great Venue Crisis of 2013″. We scrambled between temporary locations for two tense months while club finances dwindled dangerously low. We were within 60 days of bankruptcy when PR expert Andrea Krug worked her magic. She negotiated an ideal partnership with the University of Law—they wanted our expertise to help their students, and we desperately needed stability. It was the perfect win-win: not only did they welcome us with open arms, but they also waived all fees.
2015 – Present
University of Law
The Covid Challenge
During the pandemic, Richard E. Peck, DTM, then President of Toastmasters International, famously declared that Toastmasters remained “Undeterred, Unwavering, Unstoppable”. He reflected on COVID-19’s global disruption and noted, “We were forced to change everything. What we once considered ‘normal’ had left the building.” Our club faced the same upheaval.
On 16 March 2020, we held our first hybrid meeting, followed a week later (23 March) by our first fully virtual gathering on Zoom. With only President Mel’s personal Zoom account available, the meeting took on a spontaneous, informal tone, focused on connection and interaction rather than formal structure. Mel also stepped into the Toastmaster role in those early weeks, guiding the club through the transition. As Zoom attendance tended to be lower than in-person, we adapted by shortening meetings to make participation more manageable. Unlike many clubs, we kept our regular weekly time slot, even meeting on bank holidays, recognising that members valued consistency during uncertain times. For many, these gatherings became a vital source of social interaction beyond family and coworkers.
We embraced experimentation: In July 2020, we celebrated our 10th anniversary online, complete with black-tie attire! The virtual format also brought unexpected advantages, like welcoming international guests—some of whom joined as members. We incorporated games and breakout rooms and even partnered with other clubs for joint meetings, offering fresh perspectives and camaraderie.
While lockdown was undeniably challenging, 1st London’s agility and the dedication of its volunteers and members ensured we not only endured but thrived. Today, the club is one of London’s largest and most vibrant—proof that adaptability and community can overcome even the most challenging obstacles.
2024 - 100th Years of Toastmasters International
As a part of the worldwide family of Toastmasters International clubs, we proudly celebrated club’s centennial!
It was back in 1924 when on October 22, approximately two dozen men met in the basement of the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, listening to Ralph C. Smedley leading a club meeting, which marks the birth of today’s Toastmasters.