Welcome to the official District 71 website. District 71 is a strong, proud district constituted in 1972. It spans across Ireland, Scotland, Northern Wales, Northern England, Midlands, and East of England. Currently, our District is made up of over 200 clubs and 4,500 Toastmaster members.
This site will provide you with the diary of the District events as well as information on those events, our District has a leadership team that is elected from our members annually, details of the current leadership team can be found here. The site also includes a number of resources to empower you to become a more effective communicator and leader.
1972 -2022 Celebrating 50 years of Toastmasters in the UK and Ireland
District 71 50th Anniversary
On 1st July 2022 our District was 50 years old.
In celebration of this very special occasion we have published “A Comprehensive History of Toastmasters in Great Britain and Ireland”, a beautiful keepsake book written by Ted Corcoran, Past International President and a member of District 71. In this 109 page glossy paperback, you can read about the events and the people that have shaped Toastmasters in Great Britain and Ireland over the last 50 years.
On Sunday 12th June 2022 we held a nostalgic 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame where we remembered the great volunteers who have led our District over the last 50 years. Visit our YouTube channel where you will see the recording of this and other special events that will be run to celebrate our 50th.
Our Poet in residence, Aine O’Neill, wrote “The Golden Path of District 71” to celebrate the occasion. You can see a live recording on our YouTube channel read by 5 Toastmasters each representing the Areas of England, Ireland, Scotland, wales and Northern Ireland.
Mr Ted Corcoran, District 71 member, Past International President, author and mentor to Toastmasters all over the world reflects on 50 years of Toastmasters in Ireland and the UK:
What an outstanding story of persistence and passionate commitment from countless Toastmasters down the years since 1972; a story which has brought us to where we are today, proudly celebrating District 71’s 50th anniversary, a district now encompassing northern England, Scotland and Ireland.
We can be truly proud of the efforts of everyone concerned; efforts willingly given from every level of committed district leadership, from our dedicated club officers, and from our highly achieving club members; efforts that are outstanding examples of our organisation’s core values of integrity, respect, service and excellence.
From just 31 clubs in all of Britain and Ireland, in 1972, the district has grown today to almost 200 clubs, even after 121 were allocated to District 91(southern England and Wales) on its formation in 2014.
This year, we celebrate our 50th anniversary with great pride and quiet satisfaction, while paying tribute to all those members at club and district level who have worked tirelessly over these five decades to expand the number of clubs and to ensure every member had the best opportunity to grow their communication and leadership skills.
As is quoted by Robin Sharma:
“Leadership is not about a title or a designation.
It’s about impact, influence and inspiration.”
Many thanks to everyone who had an impact and who influenced and inspired us over these 50 years.
Congratulations, and now on to the next 50!
Solidarity with District 110 and Ukraine
We are all shocked by the war on Ukraine 
and have utmost sympathy and #solidarity all affected especially the Toastmasters of District 110 lead by Gilea Claudiu Calin.
Do you want to help? Please can I ask members to donate to the #Smedley Fund to help #Toastmasters International provide generous emergency #relief funding as called on. https://www.toastmasters.org/About/Smedley-Fund
Thank You
Daniel Sandars District 71 Director, Toastmasters International
The Toastmasters Club Experience
For nearly 100 years Toastmasters has helped millions of people become more confident communicators, public speakers and leaders. Our club meetings are at the heart of how our members achieve effective communication and leadership skills. While each club has its own character, there are some things that are consistent, no matter where you are in the world. To find out more, contact a club near you. or you may wish to start a club.
Our Education Programme
In addition to the supportive club environment , there is a structured education programme, called Pathways. It is our experience that the more people get involved in our education programme, the more they develop their communications and leadership skills, and confidence. Our club meetings are designed to draw all elements of our education – prepared speeches, table topics, evaluations as well as functionary roles such as timekeeping and tracking great use of language.
There are a range of resources on the Toastmasters International site for you to explore further.
