Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking — Wicklow

No one is thrown in the deep end

You start smaller than you think

Your very first time speaking isn't a speech at all — it's a sentence or two. And on your first visit you can simply watch.

FIRST VISITS

Just come and watch

Sit in, see how a friendly meeting runs, and leave whenever you like. No pressure to say a word.

YOUR FIRST TURN

A one-line answer, off the cuff

When you're ready, your first speaking is a one- to two-minute answer to a light, friendly question. Everyone does them — they're the warmest way in, and they come before any prepared talk.

SMALL HELPING JOBS

A hand with running the evening

Short, low-stakes jobs that help the meeting run and get you comfortable at the front — and they count towards your first level.

THEN — YOUR ICE BREAKER

Your first proper speech

A 4–6 minute talk introducing yourself, on the friendliest possible topic: you. By now, the room already feels familiar.

And you won't do it alone. From your first night you're paired with a personal mentor — an experienced member whose job is to answer your questions, help you prepare, and stay with you at least until you've found your feet.

The journey

Ten speeches. Three levels. Three badges.

A clear, structured path with real milestones — and you decide how far to go. Many members set out just to reach Level 1, feel the difference, then keep climbing.

Level 1

Face the Fear

Where you get to: you can stand and speak without the shake.

1 · The Ice Breaker
A 4–6 minute talk introducing yourself, on the friendliest possible topic — you.
2 · Writing a Speech with Purpose
Build a clear, well-organised talk that lands its point.
3 · Introduction to Vocal Variety & Body Language
Bring your delivery to life with how you use your voice and body.
4 · Evaluation and Feedback
Give and receive the kind, specific feedback that lifts your next talk.

Beyond the speeches: you take on a few small, easy jobs that help the evening run — including giving a short, off-the-cuff answer to a friendly question. That off-the-cuff answer even comes before your first prepared talk.

✓ Level 1 complete — your first digital badge & certificate.

Level 2

Find Your Voice

Where you get to: you know your own style, and it shows.

5 · Understanding Your Communication Style
Discover how you naturally come across — and play to it.
6 · Effective Body Language
Use movement and gesture so nerves read as energy.
7 · Introduction to Mentoring
A short, warm talk about someone who once helped you find your feet.

Beyond the speeches: you take a slightly bigger part in running the evening — like hosting one of the shorter segments.

✓ Level 2 complete — your second badge & certificate.

Level 3

Speak Freely

Where you get to: the fear is behind you — you can speak freely, to any room.

8 · Understanding Vocal Variety
Hold attention with pace, pause and tone.
9 · Connect with Your Audience
Read a room and speak to people, not at them.
10 · Persuasive Speaking
Make a case and bring the room with you.

Beyond the speeches: you give another speaker some friendly feedback, take a turn hosting the meeting, and give a short talk to help the group.

✓ Level 3 complete — your third badge & certificate, plus an official letter to your employer if you want it.

Recognised proof

Every badge is yours to keep

Your progress isn't just a pat on the back — proof of your communication skills is issued by Toastmasters International.

Share to LinkedIn

Digital badges

Each level earns a verifiable badge you can add to your LinkedIn profile in a couple of clicks.

Download

Certificates

A printable certificate for every level you finish.

At Level 3

An employer letter

Reach Level 3 and you can request an official letter addressed to your employer, confirming what you've achieved.

Questions

The things people worry about before they come.

No. Your first visit you can sit at the back and watch the whole meeting — nobody will call on you, and nobody will mind. Most people watch once or twice before they say anything at all. When you do start, it's a one-line answer rather than a speech.

Then you'll have done what every single person in the room has done at some point, including the ones who look completely relaxed. Nobody sighs, nobody winces, and nobody remembers it next time. That's the whole reason a practice room exists — it's the one place where losing your thread costs you absolutely nothing.

There's no clock on it. Your first prepared speech — the Ice Breaker — is four to six minutes about a subject you already know inside out: yourself. Most people get there within their first few months, but you set the pace, and your mentor will help you decide when you're ready.

Not at all. The ten speeches are a map, not a contract. The programme is self-paced with no deadlines and no cohort to keep up with — plenty of members work through the levels slowly over a year or two, and it counts just the same.

Visiting as a guest is free, and you're welcome to come more than once before deciding anything. We're a non-profit club, so membership is a modest annual fee that covers the education programme, meetings and materials. We'll give you the exact current figure on the night, with no hard sell. We also offer discounts for students and those currently seeking employment.

First, third and fifth Thursdays of the month, 8–10pm, September to June. We meet at An Tairseach Ecology Centre in Wicklow Town — plenty of parking, easy to find.

Conquer the Fear.