Today Fiona Silvester from JCI Sheffield is telling us all about what it's like to be a member of a local council team.

What is your role this year?

This year I've taken on the role as membership director for JCI Sheffield

What made you take on this particular role?

I was keen to take a position on the council this year to engage more with JCI and expand my existing skillset. I thought what role would I best be suited to for a while before making a decision. I'm a little (read a lot) obsessed with neatness, organisation, time management etc. I'm also extremely enthusiastic about JCI and the benefits of joining JCI so quickly realised that membership director was the role for me.

Tell us what it's like to be on a local chamber's council team.

I'm not going to lie there's a fair amount of work involved with being on a local chamber council, it's also a LOT fun and very rewarding. It's a great way to improve your team building skills as well as lots of other areas. Being on the council team this year has definitely given me a better understanding of JCI's mission as well as the difference we can make in our own community. I've met loads of great people and leaders in the City that have helped us immensely and this wouldn't have been possible with JCI. The successes of everyone else on the team feel like your successes too as you learn to support each other and work together. It's not just the council team members either, every member is there to support you and help you make a success of your role and ensure the future of the chamber.

What do you enjoy most about being on the council?

There's so many things to choose from. I love when the membership email comes through each month and I can see the difference my role has made to our membership number. I also love seeing new members becoming more involved with JCI and seeing the benefits.

What do you consider to be the main benefits of JCI membership?

There are so many different benefits depending on what you want to get out of JCI. The overall benefit has to be the way you develop personally. There are so many things you can gain to develop yourself through JCI. This range from confidence to public speaking to volunteering. In a nutshell there's something for everyone.