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Since taking the step to join national board I have been really looking forward to working with my co-director, Kate Senter, to organise the 2012 JCI UK Marketing Academy. As part of our commitment to raising the profile of JCI UK we have spent the last three months organising a jam packed weekend. To say we were excited was an understatement!

The 19 delegates at this year's academy had a really broad knowledge of knowledge of marketing which created a fantastic opportunity for members to come together to learn and share our combined experience and knowledge of marketing. This can benefit each of us as individuals, our local chambers and the organisations we work for.

The training sessions covered by Kate, Claire and Lisa Price (2009 President, JCI Sheffield) included PR, branding, stakeholder engagement, the marketing mix and measuring our successes. We were also lucky to have local multi-media business, Oxyfire, and social media guru Kym Hall, from iheartbusiness, to join us to share their insights into their areas of specialism.

Oxyfire delivered a fun and interactive session on how to produce short promotional clips for use online and it was great to see members practising interviewing each other and filming at the same time.

Kym Hall has the most amount of energy I think I have ever seen, certainly for 9:00am on a Sunday morning! She delivered a whistle stop tour of her amazing journey to setting up her international social media company, giving members lots of hints and tips along the way.

So what did the delegates really think? When I got home on Sunday evening nervously read all the feedback forms but I think some of the comments we received speak for themselves really:

"It was really amazing. I really enjoyed it and learnt a lot that I can use in the chamber and in my life. Thank you very much Kate and Claire."

"Really well done, very organised, great content and tasks. Lots of passion from Kate and Claire (and advanced knowledge of the subject)."

"As a new member I was made to feel really welcome - thanks!"

 "I have really enjoyed the academy, lots of ideas to take back to my chamber."

WOW - we were blown away! Thank you to the 19 graduates and all the trainers who made such a fantastic contribution to the weekend.

Claire Evans
Communications Director, JCI UK

PS - We've already been asked if we would consider delivering the academy again in the south, something we are really excited about. If you would be interested in attending the JCI UK Marketing Academy then add a comment to this blog to help us to get the ball rolling.

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The Presidential recognition award "Make a difference" for January goes to Sandra Pilarczyk, 2012 President JCI Sheffield.

Sandra has gone above and beyond for JCI UK in January helping us find a great (and cheap) venue for Inspiration Day which again helped us kick start JCI Birmingham, Sandra organised a brilliant World President visit in Sheffield, motivated a record number of members to take their Friday night off from the club and the pub and also found us a great deal for a hotel in London for the WP, an item that has traditionally been very expensive.

Thank you Sandra! You made a difference in 2012!

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...and I don't mean myself ;)

JCI UK recently had the honour of hosting the 2012 JCI World President, Mr Bertolt Daems, from the Netherlands, 9-10 February 2012.

Among other we took the President to meet youth in Stratford, London, who proudly claimed "JCI changed my life!", to meet the Deputy Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, meet members both in London and Sheffield, help distribute donated duvets and pillows to a shelter project in Sheffield and even go on a morning run (or walk) with the JCI Sheffield Running for Nets team.

Hosting a JCI President (that's their real title, I am the "JCI UK President", the World President is simply the "JCI President") is always fun. Its also always a lot of work. But in the end, it is always a great experience and an honour.

As the National President I was expected to be the host and to accompany the President on his travels across the UK. So in addition to all the events and meetings it is also an opportunity for two people to get to know each other and (hopefully) get comfortable with each other.

I am personally very interested in the process of people getting to know each other, of people becoming friends. The President had no choice but to spend the two days with me, and so we better get comfortable, quick. 

As you can see in the picture, we made friends and I must testify that the President is an incredibly inspiring person. I think that all the members who heard the President speak will agree with me. President Bertolt has true passion behind what he does, he has brilliant ideas for where the organisation should go and the impact it needs to make in its local communities in order to make a difference, and he also listens to members and is willing to spend time understanding what they are doing on the ground.

There are some blog posts coming about what the President did while in the UK, so I am not going to spoil the surprise. I personally got to spend two days with an amazing person and I am both happy that I got this opportunity and sad that it went a tiny bit too fast.

Yours,

Solveig Malvik
2012 JCI UK National President
Senator #70867

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In the last two years JCI has definitely taken me outside of my comfort zone - way out of it in fact!  The roles of JCI UK National Convention Director and JCI London President were a big challenge.  And while I love a challenge, I am looking forward to my role this year as national admin and membership direction, which suits my organised and detail-orientated personality.

That does not mean the role won't be challenging.  Co-ordinating this year's national board, with its high proportion of impulsive extroverts will be one.  Helping out our very diverse chambers across the country, who will each have different needs and challenges of their own will be another.  I can't wait!

One of the things I enjoy most about JCI is the chance to work with a broad mix of people with different personalities and professions.  I am excited to be on national board with members from chambers across the country, which I'm sure will be a very different experience to being on a local council.

I am looking forward to using my two years of experience as JCI London's membership director to develop and bring new ideas to my role.  I am already getting a buzz every time I get a notification that a new member has signed up on the website (and the year has started VERY well in this respect!). 

f there is anything I can help with, let me know.  I'd love to hear your ideas on membership - how can we improve the JCI experience for our members?  What are we doing well?  What is missing?  Contact me on sarah.beckwith@jciuk.org.uk

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It was a long weekend, but it passed too quickly! This last weekend JCI UK National Board for 2012 had our first proper meeting as National Board and team.

And we focused a lot on the team. Looking at personalities, values, where we think the UK and JCI in the UK will go, and what we would be if we were to be an app...We laughed a lot and amazingly despite working from 10am to 7pm on Saturday, the talk and mood was still going strong when we went for dinner later Saturday night.

Saturday night did not get late, because we all had an early start Sunday morning. Sunday started with website training, then planning the whole year.

Overall we did a lot of planning, a lot of discussing, and a lot of trying to get our heads around how things will work in 2012.

On Sunday the project leaders joined us and were able to pull together the whole year from January to December and look at what has to happen when. We have lots of exciting plans to launch at Inspiration Day and in our email newsletters to all of our dear members.

A big thank you to Steven Vandevelde, RGC North and General Manager Holiday Inn Sheffield for allowing us to use his hotel the whole weekend.

Pulling together the plan for the year

Musical chairs

Feedback and encouragement is also needed

Discussing plans of actions for 2012

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This weekend I had my first full weekend of JCI engagements as JCI UK National President. The first weekend of many to come. I think I have a free weekend some time in May, otherwise my weekends are filled with National Board meetings, international meetings, training weekends and international conventions. All good fun and all of it things I'm really looking forward to.

The weekend started in Barnsley with the JCI Barnsley 60th Annual Dinner. JCI Barnsley as always did a brilliant job with good speeches, good food and good people. It is no little feat to celebrate a 60th anniversary. How many other clubs and organisations, even companies, do you know that has survived for 60 years? 

The weekend continued at the British Senate Drumming Out in Northampton. 2011 JCI UK National President Allison Cowell gave a speech at the dinner drumming out 2011 Senate Chair David Butcher, while I gave a speech at the breakfast the next day, drumming in 2012 Senate Chair Julie Blakey.

It was a great experience and it's a good feeling thinking that in 10, 20 or 50 years it is us sitting there sharing memories of our active days.

I lost count over the weekend how many times I was asked how my year is going so far, and all of two weeks in, I could answer honestly that so far I'm having fun, having a great time, working with amazing people.

I hope you've all signed up for Inspiration Day in Birmingham the 28th of January. We have more than 40 sign ups, and even guests from as far as Mongolia and Finland. If you haven't, sign up before 22nd January!

See you soon!

solveig.malvik@jciuk.org.uk

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We've just received news that the JCI World President Bertolt Daems from the Netherlands will be visiting the United Kingdom 9th to the 11th of February!

President Daems will arrive in London the morning of the 9th and leave from Sheffield for Scotland for his visit to JCI Scotland the morning of the 11th.

The JCI World President, like all positions in JCI, has one year to lead. The President is elected at the World Congress the proceeding year and takes office the 1st of January in the year, holding office until the 31st of December. You can read more about what it takes to become World President on our "get involved" page.

Typically the World President visits between 70 and 90 countries in his or her year in office, we are therefore grateful that the President has chosen to visit us here in the UK.

Where can you meet the President?

While the details of the schedule is still being ironed out (for information on what it takes to host a World President, read the protocol document), the plan is that members can meet the President in both London and Sheffield during the visit. 

Plans are being put in place and in the meantime, save the date for

London: 9th February
Sheffield: 10th February

Both JCI London and JCI Sheffield as well as National Board are busy preparing an outstanding programme for the President's visit.

For more information about President Daems you can read his bio, read his (or JCI's) Plan of Action for 2012 or visit his campaign page.

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JCI Presenter is an effective presentation course that focuses on the concepts of creating and delivering an effective presentation, utilizing visual aids and strong delivery methods with a mind towards understanding the audience. Throughout the full day course, participants practice the preparation and delivery of a range of presentations.

JCI Presenter should be taken by all members who want to expand their presentation skills in order to make an impact - be it delivering better project reports or intervening during chapter meetings.

After graduating from JCI Presenter Phil Cavalier-Lumley, President of JCI Bradford soon had the chance to practice what he had learnt and sent the following feedback:

"I used your training and tips. I rehearsed, recorded myself, timed myself, tweaked and tweaked until I was completely happy that my speech was motivational but accurate and I strolled up to the podium with a new kind of confidence and let loose.

I was approached by people afterwards who I didn't know but who congratulated me on such an inspirational speech. The Strategic Director of Young People Services in Bradford commented on my powerful speech and agreed with my view on developing young people in Bradford.

I may sound big headed to say I was ON FIRE but I have never felt that good delivering a presentation and I've never had such brilliant feedback.

I have to say that your training certainly made a big contribution to my success - many thanks!"

Phil has since gone on to win the 2011 JCI UK public speaking competition and was part of the debating team that won the JCI UK debating competition this year also.

The first course in the UK for 2012 is to be hosted by JCI London on Saturday 4th February with Lina Derkeshli as head trainer and Solveig Malvik as assistant trainer. The price is £35 for a full day of training including lunch. To book you place go to www.eventelephant.com/jcipresenterlondon

The second course is being hosted by JCI Sheffield on Saturday 3rd March with Maggie Georgopoulos as head trainer and Emma Eastwood as assistant trainer and again the cost is £35 for a full day of training, including lunch. To book go to www.eventelephant.com/jcipresentersheffield

For more information contact Emma Eastwood at e.eastwood@cityliving.co.uk

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