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Four top UK professional speakers, more than 25 JCI members and a night full of insightful presentations, laughter and networking took place on February 27^th, 2012. This was the first collaborative event between JCI and PSA (Professional Speakers Association) that included Derek Arden - "Mr Negotiator", Graham Jones - "The Internet Psychologist", Jane Gunn - "The Corporate Peacemaker" and our very own Simon Bucknall - "The Connection Expert".  By the end of the night, everyone knew that Derek was an Arsenal fan and Jane, even with a “Gun” in her surname, was more involved in peace than war.

It was clear that unconventional format of the evening was very popular with the attendants. This included a mixture of presentations followed by the rotation of groups at each speaker, providing a much more insight on a macro and micro level on all subjects in discussion. It was indeed a vibrant and exuberant event full of energy.

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It has been another amazing year for JCI London.  Here are just some of the highlights:

• Hosting more than 100 local events covering all areas of opportunity (on average more than 2 per week!)
• Raising over £300 for Nothing But Nets via events such as Penny Poker, the pub quiz, Loch Ness Marathon and the Penny Jar,  in addition to buying over 20 bed nets direct for trainers/speakers...i.e. over 50 lives saved in Africa
• Launching a new website with blog, which has over 90 posts
• JCI London gaining over 2000 fans on the Facebook fan page and over 350 followers to the twitter account
• Having a very active council of 18 members, with many JCI London members also being active on National Board (and the same set to continue in 2012).
• Over 70 new members joining in 2011
• Large delegations of 12 members attending European Conference in Tarragona and 18 at World Congress in Brussels
• Introduction of Roundtable format business events, giving members intimate access to business leaders, willing to share their personal stories and advice in small group discussions
• Successful Go For It! event running again in May, with TOYP winner Sabirul Islam as keynote speaker
• Three members being recognised for their volunteering activities via the JCI UK ACE (Active Citizen Experience) scheme
• Representation at the Staines Memorial in Staines in June and the JCI Belgium Staines Award service in December
• Live Like a Londoner Twinning Weekend with attendees from four out of our five twin chambers experiencing the hidden gems of life in London
• JCI London being represented at pretty much every international event possible, including the European Academy, ASPAC, Crayfish Conference, UN Summit, Know-How Transfer, Americas Conference, European Capitals Meeting and Beat of Berlin
• Hosting of three official JCI courses (Presenter, Trainer and Achieve), plus many members graduating from courses in other locations
• JCI London members taking part in all major national events, including inspiration day, the marketing academy, presidents and deputies day and national convention
• Organisation of the first JCI UK South Leadership Academy with 11 London graduates
• Having entrants in the JCI UK National Public Speaking, Debating and Extempore competitions
• Establishing a new chamber - JCI Ignite London (official launch on 16 February)
• Being awarded five National Awards/Certificates of Merit
• Awarding two senatorships - Tina Strack & Solveig Malvik
• JCI London being 100% efficient!

Thank you to all those who have contributed to and supported the chamber in 2011.  Please do come along and help us celebrate at the Annual Dinner on 3 February: http://jcilondonannualdinner.eventbrite.co.uk/

Want to get involved and make it happen in 2012?  You can find out more at our meet the council event on 17 January:  http://www.jcilondon.org.uk/events/2012-01-17/350-meet-the-2012-council-and-how-to-get-involved/

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It has become a tradition for JCI London to have an event where the current and future council come together with our past presidents and senators. This year a total of 23 past and present members (among them 10 past presidents and 13 senators) convened at Chez Gerard on the Southbank for an evening of great food, company and conversation.

The event is a chance for attendees to exchange knowledge, experience and ideas across the generations. Anyone who is a senator or who has been a president of the chamber will retain a keen interest in our activities and it is great to be able to build relationships and connections, not to mention being able to tap into their wealth of knowledge!

We were lucky to have many esteemed members and senators among us on the night and after hearing from the current council (me) and future council (Deputy President Simon Bucknall), National President elect Solveig Malvik, Past National President Barry Miller and International Vice President Lesley Young also shared their thoughts.

The highlight of the evening for me was the awarding of a senatorship to 2007 JCI London President Tina Strack. A senatorship is a life-long membership of JCI awarded only to those who have made an outstanding contribution in their years of membership. Tina was suitably shocked by, but incredibly deserving of her award.

Tina was instrumental in the reinvigoration of JCI London, taking on the role of president shortly after moving to the UK and having already been president of JCI Vancouver. Using her knowledge of JCI from Vancouver, Tina set up processes to ensure the smooth running of the chamber. She implemented new ideas such as a newsletter and monthly chamber meetings, which gradually built the number of active members. The chamber would not be where it is today without Tina's energy, enthusiasm and team spirit in her year as president.

Thank you to all our past presidents and senators for their continuing support of the chamber and making this year's event such as success!

JCI London Senators

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It was a successful weekend for JCI London, with our chamber and members receiving the following awards:

National Awards

• Most outstanding new member - Soraya Bowen
• Most outstanding international collaboration project - Live Like a Londoner Twinning Weekend
• Most outstanding president - Sarah Beckwith
• Certificate of Merit for regular local publication - this newsletter
• Certificate of Merit for preparation by a deputy president - Simon Bucknall

100% Efficiency

This is the JCI quality standard. Local JCI chambers are awarded points for activities undertaken and essential administrative tasks throughout the year. JCI London achieved 100% efficiency for 2011.

ACE - Active Citizen Experience

A JCI UK initiative recognising those who volunteer their time in their local communities:

• Mehnaz Siddiqui - Gold Award
• Frene Angeli - Silver Award
• Alexandra Spencer - Silver Award

Public Speaking Competitions

Although we did not win, the members that competed in the public speaking competitions also deserve a mention - speaking in front of 50 plus people is never easy and it is a real achievement just to take part. Well done to:

• Public Speaking Entrant - Alex Illsley
• Extempore Entrants - Sofie Sandell & Marco van den Heuvel
• The JCI London Debating Team - Marco van den Heuvel, Peter Simmons & Sarah Beckwith

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At our Annual General Meeting on 10 October, the following members were elected to the JCI London Council 2012:

• President - Simon Bucknall
• Deputy President - Eyad Hamouieh
• Finance Director - James Lynch
• Business Director - Ricky Kothari
• Membership Director - Lydia Bartaud
• International Director - Anke Brandts
• Training Director - Mehnaz Siddiqui
• Community Director - Soraya Bowen
• Social Director - Alexandra Illsley
• Immediate Past President (non-elected) - Sarah Beckwith

Congratulations to all!  Being on the council is a great way to develop skills, make lasting friendships and make a difference in the chamber.

During the meeting Simon Bucknall outlined his plans for leading JCI London in 2012 and his theme of Make It Happen!   Some of the newly-elected council directors also shared their visions for their areas and their enthusiasm and team spirit shone through. 2012 promises to be another great year for JCI London.

There are three director roles on the council which were not elected at the AGM:

• Honorary Secretary
• Marketing Director
• Strategic Partnerships Director

These positions, along with deputy directors, will be appointed over the coming months.  If you are interested in a role on the council or in one of the teams, please get in touch with President-Elect, Simon Bucknall.

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As well as a packed week of our usual great activities, including a community team meeting, project meeting about starting new chamber JCI Ignite London (very appropriate for membership week!) and a talk by a speaker from the Bank of England, JCI London hosted a successful open evening during JCI Membership week (19 to 25 September).

Many potential members turned up to hear what JCI London was all about and the exciting and varied opportunities to get involved.  The following JCI London members shared their stories:

JCI London membership director, Lydia Bartaud-Nel, introduces the evening with a story about her involvement with the European Award winning Entrepreneurial Academy project.

Past JCI London council director, Immediate Past President of JCI UK and current International Vice President, Lesley Young, tells of journey of not believing she was good enough to even join 15 years ago in Belfast to having one of the highest roles in JCI, allowing her to travel all over the world as a mentor to her assigned countries.

Senator and International Training Fellow Sue Miller speaks about the trials and tribulations of being first lady of JCI UK (she is married to 1996 National President Barry Miller) and reaching the highest rung on the JCI training ladder, enabling her to train fellow members all over the world.

Mehnaz Siddiqui, who has been a member for only around 6 months, tells of her achievements in the community team (including heling to raise over £400 by running the Race for Life), discovering what JCI is all about for her and her plans to run for a council position next year!

I present my own JCI story, which includes inspirational speakers I've seen, skills I've gained, places I've travelled all over the world, some very unusual experiences, plus lots of friendships and fun!

Deputy President, Simon Bucknall then rounded off the evening by outlining a few snippets of his plans for JCI London in 2012 and inviting the audience to consider what they hoped to achieve next year (whether as part of JCI or not). 

We then all headed off for a few drinks at the local pub and were very pleased that most attendees came along (perhaps because the first round was on me!).  We're looking forward to lots of enthusiastic new members signing up soon!

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As part of JCI membership week, we want to hear your opinions on JCI London.  This is your chance to tell us what you think, what we are doing well, what can be improved?  Feedback from our members is vital to ensure we deliver what our members want from their membership.

Every member who takes part will receive a free pass to one of our regular weeknight training or business events at the London Chamber of Commerce taking place between now and the end of the year.  One lucky winner will get their next year’s membership for free.

Click here to take survey

The survey will close on 5 October

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Do you want to be involved in something that will make a difference to your life and the world? Do you want a sense of achievement for doing something rewarding for other people? Do you want to develop those skills you have but not sure how to make it happen? We are looking for members to get involved in this amazing new project and help us build an amazing new chamber that will spread the word of JCI Locally, Nationally and internationally - lets make a difference by starting at home!

JCI London is the most international Chamber in the world. It has just over 160 members from over 30 different nationalities. Everyone of those people joined JCI London for a reason - either to develop themselves, to build strong and lasting networks and to make a difference in the community. JCI London is thriving! So we would like to cerate more leadership opportunities for people to get involved with by creating a brand new chamber in London - JCI Ignite.

This new Chamber will work with JCI London to provide more opportunities for all their members, from Leadership Prospects, Personal Development, Community Involvement, more International Connections with new twin chambers around the world and giving people the confidence and power to create lasting friendships and networks.

There is an initial project meeting to discuss next steps on 4^th July 2011 at the London Chamber of Commerce office and we have a number of project areas/roles that need to be filled which include (and not limited to):

1. Contacts and Referrals: Identify potential members and business, government and Community leaders who can refer their employees and contacts to the new Local Organisation. Everyone involved can contribute to the Local Organisation's contact list with their own personal and business contacts that may be interested.

2. Promotion and Publicity: Create, distribute and follow up press releases, advertisements, photography, and video for newspapers, magazines, web, radio and/or television; Create and distribute flyers, signs, advertisements and invitations; administer website.

3. Recruiting: Call, email, or write to all contacts and referrals to discuss the Local Organisation, invite them to events, and encourage their involvement. Make appointments and conduct face-to-face meetings with business and community leaders in order to explain the Organisation and elicit their support and sponsorship.

4. Finances: Keep records of all receipts and expenditures of the committee, including dues and affiliation fees and issue invoices for new members. Ensure that every expense is properly approved and presented to the treasurer of the sponsoring Local Organisation, if they are providing the funding.

5. Programme and Events: Coordinate and plan all informational meetings and events held, including Launch Party. Arrange for speaker or plan presentation, set agenda, invite appropriate sponsors, donors and supporters, coordinate location and logistics, and advise publicity committee of relevant information.

6. Follow-up: Provide support and guidance to the new Local Organisation after it is chartered and a board of directors has been elected. Ensure a Plan of Action is written and implemented and act in an advisory capacity, offer guidance and practical help where necessary.

If any of these areas interest you, or you think you can assist in any other way, please come along to the project meeting on 4^th July.

In the mean time, if you have any questions, queries or anything else - please feel free to email

Nadene Jones - nadene.jones@jcilondon.org.uk

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We're now half way through the year and what a year it is turning out to be!  So far this year, JCI London has:

• Organised around 40 events locally (more than 2 per week!)
• Taken part in all major national events, including inspiration day, the marketing academy and presidents and deputies day
• Had 10 members graduate from JCI Presenter and 10 from JCI Trainer
• Saved 8 lives via bed net donations to say thank you to our trainers
• Launched a new website and posted 42 blog articles
• Had attendees at 3 out of the 4 international regional conferences: 1 attendee each at Asia-Pacific  and the Americas (plus a few senators) and around 15 members at European Conference
• Raised over £40 for Nothing But Nets via our penny jar collection

And that's just the first half of the year.  If you haven't taken full advantage of your JCI membership yet, look out for the following opportunities coming up:

• More fundraising for Nothing But Nets via a pub quiz (13 July), clothes collection and the penny jar
• World Congress in Brussels - our delegation is determined to make a huge impact once again
• Take on a leadership role -elections for next year's council taking place at our AGM in October. 
• Experience the international aspect of JCI either at home at our Twinning Weekend or away at one of the many international events (Beat of Berlin, Crayfish Party, Know-How Transfer).
• And many many wonderful local events in all areas of opportunity...see the events diary for details!

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18 June 1972 saw one of the worst disasters in the history of UK aviation.  British European Airways flight 548 crashed 3 minutes into its journey from London Heathrow to Brussels.  All 118 passengers and crew on board were killed.  JCI Belgium lost 7 members and 2 spouses, who were returning from the JCI European Conference in Edinburgh and many of whom were part of their national board.  Since this time there has been a close relationship between JCI London and JCI Belgium.

Every year a memorial service is held in Staines near the site of the crash.  At this year's service, held on Saturday, were representatives from British Airways and the Cabin Crew Association, the Mayor of Spelthorne, the Deputy Chief Executive of Spelthorne Borough Council, as well as one of the fire fighters who attended the crash and the first person to the scene - a local resident and nurse.

Three JCI members came over from Belgium - Dominiek Callewier, Olivier De Block and Willy Machiels.  JCI London was represented by Sofie Sandell (JCI London President 2008), Marco van den Heuvel (JCI London President 2009) and myself.  Despite the somber circumstances, it was a good opportunity to make new international friends.  Sofie and I enjoyed a dinner with Dominiek and Olivier on Friday night and all six JCI members had lunch together after the ceremony.

JCI Belgium set up the Staines Memorial Foundation after the crash to help support the education of the children of the victims of the crash.   Today it continues to support relatives of the crash victims, as well as being used to provide insurance for all JCI Belgium members when attending JCI events.

One of the most important and prestigious duties for the JCI London President is being invited to give a speech and present the Staines Memorial Award every year at the JCI Belgium National Awards Ceremony.  The Award is the highest honour a member of JCI Belgium can receive, for outstanding services to the organisation and community.  I am looking forward to travelling to Deinze to make the presentation in September.

Next year will be the 40^th anniversary of the crash.  JCI Belgium and JCI London plan to work together to commemorate the anniversary.  The ceremony will be taking place at 11am on Monday 18^th June at St Mary's Church, Staines.  We would like to have as many JCI members from both organisations attend as possible and encourage you to put it in your diaries now.

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