Vale Speakers Club & KidsOut Working Together

World Stories Project

Toastmasters’ members throughout the world communicate millions of words each year. 

Toastmaster members continuously seek challenges to enhance their communication skills.  However, there are times when some members feel that only a few of their skills shine outside of their clubs.   When an opportunity comes to use your skills, it should be taken on courageously. 

The children’s charity, KidsOut (www.KidsOut.org.uk) has a project suitable for Toastmasters at all levels of expertise. 

Vale Speakers Club member, Niz Smith is employed by KidsOut.  Two years ago, Niz and a co-worker had modified several children stories to fit within a 5 – 7 minute time frame. The stories were to be created for the benefit of disadvantaged children.  These stories could be heard by accessing the KidsOut website.  Niz needed the stories to be recorded for the website.             

Niz approached the VP of Education, Rose Marie Calder.  The opportunity to use the clubs’ skills to read the stories to be recorded was a project Vale Speakers Club took on with great enthusiasm.  The stories use many TM skills.  Other TM clubs’ members participated. The project was a success for both TM members and KidsOut.  Several organisations, including Costa’ Coffee, realized the positive impact of a story telling concept and has offered their support for the World Stories Project.

KidsOut is the only charity in the UK dedicated to bringing fun and happiness into the lives of disadvantaged children.

What TM skills are required?

●      An interest in working for a community project.

●      The ability to use the skills which have been acquired – i.e. vocal variety, entertainment, projection of voice, etc.

●      Creativity

Overview of the World Stories Project and its goals.

Children of these nationalities generally do not have access to stories in their mother tongue.   Creating a series of stories will be a method for children and their families, to relate to their native culture and to their new environment, improving literacy, inclusion and, of course, offering a bit of fun.

The 20 most commonly spoken non-English languages by school children in the UK (not including the Republic of Ireland) are:

Akan/Twi-Fante, Albanian/Shqip, Arabic, Chinese, Bengali, French,  Gujurati,  Hindi,  Panjabi Pashto/Pakhto,  Persian/Farsi,  Polish, Portuguese, Spanish,  Somali , Tagalog/Filipino, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu and Yoruba

This project is seeking assistance of TM members, especially members who are comfortable in one of the above languages.

●      The project is to creation of 5 stories in each of the above languages for a total of 100 stories.  The story is to be approximately 1,500 words.  A writers’ pack has been developed for participants. 

●      Once the story has been selected, it will be translated into the native language AND an English version for a total of 200 stories. (100 original stories and 100 translations)

●      Volunteers are needed to record the stories which will be edited professionally.  After editing the stories, they will be placed on the KidsOut website.  The stories will be read in both England and the native language i.e. Turkish

●      The project will include biographic information of the volunteers who have assisted.

The Vale Speakers Club is located in Leighton Buzzard, Area 4, in Division ‘G’. 

TM members interested in the guidelines and writers package for the World Stories Project please contact:  Rose Marie Calder   Vale Speakers Club Vice-President of Education    rms2954_vol@hotmail.com 

District 71 would like you to be aware this is not a recognised Toastmasters International programme but one that Toastmasters can participate in to develop and improve on their skills in this area.