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Fear of Public Speaking

Afraid of Public Speaking? Book a course in King’s Cross

The College of Public Speaking is headed up by award-winning leadership tutor Vince Stevenson

Hiding in plain sight on Pentonville Road’s pavements is the best-kept secret in Islington. It’s a council building called Voluntary Action Islington (VAI), and it’s the hub for most charities and voluntary organisations in the borough.

Unassumingly, you’ll find the College of Public Speaking tucked away in one of its quiet corners. Once found at City University, it moved to VAI in 2014.

Since then, VAI has become something of a spiritual home. “We’re proud that our room hire directly contributes to essential forms of community development,” says course tutor Vince Stevenson. “Our ethos is set in equality, diversity, and inclusion, and we play a significant role in making that a reality through our everyday work.

We’re a niche company that, over the years, has created a worldwide following and punches above its weight in terms of student outcomes.”


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Taking a class. Photo: Alex Glod

VAI is close to King’s Cross and with access to all major travel terminals. “The business grew steadily until the onset of Covid, which literally wiped us out,” says Vince. “But we’re back with renewed vigour, featuring our Fear of Public Speaking Courses, our 5 Day Discovery Public Speaking Course, which attract students from across continents, and our Advanced Training the Trainer offering, which is accredited by City and Guilds (ILM) and CIMA.”

Like most people and companies, the College is cognisant of it carbon footprint. “We highly appreciate our international students,” says Vince, “and it’s equally wonderful when we attract students from north London. Now that you know where we are, please consider joining us for one of our short courses. A feature of our classroom work is having fun while learning and we do this by discussing topical issues of interest. So, we’re right on your doorstep and I hope to see you one day soon.”

COURSE TUTOR: Vince Stevenson – (he/him)

Vince in class. Photo: Alex Glod

Vince is a well-known speaker/trainer and has won several awards for leadership, education, and development. He is a founder of the College of Public Speaking 2006 Ltd and works as Education Director managing all aspects of course delivery and content.

Vince is an avid learner and has accomplished many certificates in Learning and Communication Science with the University of California, San Diego, the University of Amsterdam, and Instructional Design with the Institute of Adult Learning, Singapore.

He is the trusted adviser behind the College’s outstanding ‘pro bono’ service to the Third Sector. In recent years Vince delivered sessions for the Civil Service in Mauritius, various programs at Insead International Business School near Paris and at the Asia Foundation, Save the Children and BRAC, the world’s largest NGO in Bangladesh. He has assisted the development of the TEDx Storytelling project in Bucharest and Sibiu.

Students on a 5-day course. Photo: Alex Glod

He was a guest speaker at LSE, UCL, KCL and SOAS as well as the University of Malta. He is a regular contributor at St Mungo`s Recovery College, Changing Faces and Medecins Sans Frontieres. In recent years he has been the guest keynote speaker at the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts Executive Academy, keynote speaker at Royal Bank of Scotland, London, keynote speaker at the Women’s Fabian Society at the House of Commons, London and the Zajel Peace Project, Nablus.

The College of Public Speaking is at VAI, 2nd Floor, 200a Pentonville Road, N1 9JP. The Fear Of Public Speaking one or two-day courses start on 9th September and run all autumn. Find out more here. The next 5-day Discovery Public Speaking Course is on 5th December. Find out more here. The next Train The Trainer Courses is on 17th October, here.


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