Best at developing young leaders in the UK
Best at developing young leaders in the UK

A month ago, we hosted the JCI UK National Convention here in Southampton. Here is the little summary of the weekend, with key highlights and achievements!
The National Convention was hosted from Friday 24 – Sunday 26 November at the Grand Harbour Hotel. The Convention saw over 120 delegates from the UK, Europe and further afield (including a member of JCI Japan!)
The JCI UK National Convention is the flagship event in the JCI UK calendar, bringing together members from across the country to develop skills, network and celebrate our achievements. At this weekend, we were recognised as the best local organisation in the country to develop young leaders and empower young active citizens to create positive change. Find out more below:
Friday spotlight
The National Convention weekend commenced on the Friday, with a joint business day with Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, including an introduction from Hampshire Chamber Chief Executive, Maureen Frost and JCI Southampton President, Sophie Delaporte. The Business Day aimed of foster links with the local businesses, the community and the next generation of future young leaders.
There were a raft of speakers discussing entrepreneurship, authenticity, how to be a world class manager to name only a few; and welcomed former Southampton FC manager Nigel Adkins, who spoke about motivation & managing under high pressure.
Donna Hubbard from BeDynamic Coaching kicked off the day with a fantastic talk on being our true self, and was followed by Julie Biggs, a cardiac care nurse at the Southampton General Hospital to discuss healthy lifestyles and diets. After a networking break with the Chamber of Commerce, we continued the event with a talk by Wayne Clarke, JCI Global Ambassador and Founder of the Global Growth Institude on Being A World Class Manager, bringing to light the key skills and qualities that managers need to master.
We also celebrated the work of Outstanding Young People with our TOYP Awards highlighting the achievements of young professionals in various fields.
After lunch, Nigel Adkins owned the stage, sharing with us his experience as a football manager and the lessons he learnt from his various experiences. The afternoon ended with the Public Speaking Competition and all members came together at the Dancing Man Brewery for a casual evening and our traditional Extempore competition.
Saturday spotlight
We started the Saturday programme with our Morning Show, learning about the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Some delegates went to National Council while the rest of the delegations learnt about the Imposter Syndrome, Strategic Thinking and problem solving and more. The afternoon programme was packed with an art class, the Costa Academy Experience and the famous Debating competition, with Hannah Waddington, Ed Palmer and Sophie Delaporte representing JCI Southampton in the semi-finals and the finals.The climax of the Convention was the masquerade themed Gala Dinner and JCI UK National Awards ceremony with 170 delegates in attendance.
Awards-Winning Organisation
JCI Southampton was pleased to win seven national awards in total, including:
- Best Debater (Sophie Delaporte)
- Best Local Peace Project
- Best Global Goals (recognising the chamber’s efforts towards the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Most Outstanding New Member (Zoe Toseland)
- Most Outstanding Member (James Lambert)
- Most Outstanding Local President (Sophie Delaporte),
- and Most Outstanding Local Organisation, recognising JCI Southampton for their work in enhancing young peoples’ leadership skills, community actions and business impact
We are very proud of the achievements and positive actions of our members across the year and we cannot wait to achieve even more in 2018. These awards are a true recognition of young active citizens in our Chamber getting the extra mile to make a positive change in Southampton;
If you are interested in getting involved, running a project or joining the Council team, please contact president@jcisouthampton.org.uk