Toastmasters are looking for new members to join their expanding group, based in Marlborough.

The Toastmasters, an international organisation that teaches public speaking and leadership skills, launched its town group last October.

The group has ten members but, in order to affiliate to the organisation, it needs at least 20.

Group president Elizabeth Hendry founded the section after belonging to one in St Albans.

She said: “I’d done presentations and it was never a problem, so it was not a question of standing up in front of an audience.

“When I joined Business Networking International, I had to do a one-minute set speech and I shook and I just absolutely went to pieces. Now I realise it’s because I didn’t know how to write the speech, so I wasn’t confident.

“When I went to my first Toastmasters meeting with a friend, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do this; it’s just so fantastic’.”

The meetings follow a set format, starting with two-minute unprepared speeches, then has set speeches and evaluations.

Leadership roles include toastmaster, time keeper and evaluators.

Ms Hendry said: “Toastmasters is about helping people to gain self-confidence.”

The group meets every other Thursday at Marlborough fire station, starting at 7.15pm.

To attend a meeting, visit merlinsmound.d71.org