DUBAI, July 2019: The Dubai-based Sri Lankan Professionals Toastmasters Club (SLP Toastmasters) has for the second time achieved a President’s Distinguished Club rating, the highest honour that the renowned educational organisation Toastmasters International gives to its top-performing clubs around the world.
The US headquartered Toastmasters International, which can boast of a near 100-year history, promotes communications skills among its members worldwide and empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Since it was founded in 1924, Toastmasters has globally spread in 143 countries through 16,600 clubs with 357,000 memberships. It also rates its clubs on how well they encourage members to pursue their personal public speaking and leadership goals/designations.
SLP Toastmasters achieved the prestigious rating for the year 2018-2019 under the current Executive Committee led by President Sarath Surangana. Previously, SLP Toastmasters, which was formed in 2007, had been honoured as a President’s Distinguished Club for 2010-2011.
Inviting more Sri Lankan professionals in the UAE to become a member of SLP Toastmasters, Mr.Surangana expressed his appreciation to all members for extending their support to help their club achieve the President’s Distinguished Club rating for the second time during its 12 years of existence.
“We believe there are a number of Sri Lankan professionals in the UAE who are interested in participating in the Toastmasters programme with the intention of developing their communication skills. Being a good communicator is a key necessity to survive in one’s industry due to the highly competitive, multi-cultural and diversified nature of the work environment, whether you are a newcomer or a veteran. Leadership skills will help one to move up the carrier ladder, so joining our Toastmasters club will be a proper investment for professionals.”
SLP Toastmasters was established with the support of Sri Lankan engineers and quantity surveyors in the UAE, who understood the importance of interpersonal skills to achieve professional excellence. Prominent members of SLP Toastmasters include professionals from the Institute of Incorporate Engineers in Sri Lanka (IIESL – UAE branch) and the Sri Lankan Quantity Surveyors (SLQS) in the UAE. The membership of SLP Toastmasters also includes accountants, financial planners, insurance professionals, hoteliers and entrepreneurs.
The benefits of joining SLP Toastmasters, which meets in Dubai every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, include a structured and guided program customised to each member’s interests; the opportunity to get a good grasp of spoken English and reach out to a diversified audience to test one’s public speaking skills; constructive evaluations and comments on speeches that have been delivered; personal mentor to inspire you and to improve your skills; opportunities to undertake responsibilities and to become a team player; value addition to one’s curriculum vitae/ resume and access to confidence building measures.
SLP TOASTMASTERS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President: Sarath Surangana
Vice President (Education: Thakshila Wickramasinghe
Vice President (Membership): Lakshan Meegahakotuwa
Vice President (Public Relations): Nilantha Chaminda
Secretary: Madura Gunasekara
Treasurer: Afkar Mohamed
Serjeant-at-arms: Dilan Semage
Immediate past president: Shivantha Wijesinghe.
Shadow members: Upul Nishantha and Kanchana De Silva
Gavel Club Counsellor: Tilak Weerakoon.
For further information, contact or visit:
SLP Toastmasters Club (1055870)
Room No. 08, Business village B Building, Near Deira Clock Tower, Dubai, UAE.
