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The English-Speaking Union was founded as a membership organisation, bringing together those who share a belief that better communication makes for better global understanding. Today, we have over 5,000 members in 36 regional branches across England and Wales who meet to socialise, gain new perspectives on the world and to help organise and raise funds for our educational work.
We are hugely grateful to our branches, which are central to the running of our Public Speaking and Performing Shakespeare competitions. Some also run their own, complementary, oracy programmes and many choose to sponsor local schools to take part in our Discover Debating programme or Discover Your Voice workshops.
To find out more about your local branch, please select the city/region nearest to you from the filter above.
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Branch events across the country
London Branch: Book Club
London
The ESU London Branch Members’ book club meets once a month at Dartmouth House to exchange views on a book chosen by the group. Discussions take place from 11.00-12.30hrs on the third Wednesday of each month. If you would like to join our friendly and informal club please contact Kathleen…
London Branch: Sanctions Debate with headline speaker Bill Browder
London
ESU London branch are delighted to invite you to a debate at the ESU’ s headquarters Dartmouth House, Mayfair on Monday, 5 September. The motion for this debate is: ‘This house believes that sanctioning private individuals in order to pressure foreign…
Sir Malcolm Rifkind In Conversation with Alastair Niven
ESU Regional Event
Join us online on Monday, 12 September at 6.30pm to join Sir Malcom Rifkind KCMG QC in conversation with Alastair Niven OBE LVO. Sir Malcolm Rifkind is a former MP and served in the cabinets of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. He has held a variety of high-profile positions within…
Lincoln Branch Spring Lunch: Sqn Ldr Mark Sugden, 'The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight: Past, Present and Future'
Lincoln & Lincolnshire
Lincoln branch are pleased to announce that they have managed to reschedule the postponed Spring Lunch to Tuesday, 13 September at the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln with special guest Sqn Ldr Mark Sugden who will speak about ‘The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight: Past, Present and Future’. The…
Salisbury Branch: ‘The Women of the Raj’ by Brian Freeland
Salisbury & Wiltshire
‘The Women of the Raj’ by Brian Freeland Brian Freeland has written a dozen stage scripts (nine produced so far, four of them published). Following comments that he didn’t write many good roles for ladies, he staged a piece about the British women in India during the second half of…
Talk by author Rupert Wieloch on his book ‘Churchill’s Abandoned Prisoners’
London
Join us at Dartmouth House for an evening with Rupert Wieloch who will give a talk on his latest book Churchill’s Abandoned Prisoners. Drinks will be served from 6pm, the talk will commence at 6.30pm sharp. One hundred years ago a…
London Branch: Book Club
London
The ESU London Branch Members’ book club meets once a month at Dartmouth House to exchange views on a book chosen by the group. Discussions take place from 11.00-12.30hrs on the third Wednesday of each month. If you would like to join our friendly and informal club please contact Kathleen…
REIMAGINED: An evening with Cameron Owen
London
REIMAGINED: International pianist, singer and Juilliard graduate, Cameron Owen (aka Cameron Richardson-Eames) presents his own cinematic interpretations of familiar song repertoire, as well as original material blending his classical pedigree with mainstream influences. With guest appearances by acclaimed West End composer, Pippa Cleary, and West End dancers. The performance will…
South Wales Branch: Lord David Owen, 'Riddle, Mystery and Enigma: Two Hundred Years of British-Russian Relations'
South Wales
The South Wales branch has persuaded Lord David Owen to revisit his South Walian roots and speak at a lunch at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday, 14 October. Lord Owen played a leading role in twentieth century politics and is a prolific author on a range of historical and political…
Salisbury Branch: Richard Hopton, 'A Reluctant Hero, the life of Captain Robert Ryder VC RN'
Salisbury & Wiltshire
Captain Ryder led the famous raid on St Nazaire in 1942. Captain Ryder had a distinguished and varied career in the Royal Navy, including three years in the mid-1930s commanding a ship on an Antarctic expedition. His biography is being republished in March to coincide with the 80th anniversary of…
London Branch: Book Club
London
The ESU London Branch Members’ book club meets once a month at Dartmouth House to exchange views on a book chosen by the group. Discussions take place from 11.00-12.30hrs on the third Wednesday of each month. If you would like to join our friendly and informal club please contact Kathleen…
SAVE THE DATE: ESU Evelyn Wrench lecture with Rowan Williams
London
We are delighted to announce this year’s Evelyn Wrench lecture will be given by Dr Rowan Williams who will deliver a talk on the freedom of speech and ‘culture wars’ . Rowan Williams has recently retired as Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and was previously Archbishop of Canterbury. Prior…
The ESU International Council Meeting 2022
ESU Regional Event
The English-Speaking Union International Council Meeting 2022 is being held in Karachi, Pakistan from Thursday, 27 to Monday, 31 October 2022. The ICM is a formal annual meeting of International ESUs from across the globe, and ESU members and guests who wish to attend would receive a very warm welcome…
Lincoln Branch: Annual Dinner with guest speaker Lord Patten
Lincoln & Lincolnshire
The Lincoln Committee is delighted to announce that Chris Patten (Lord Patten) will be guest speaker at their Annual Dinner in Lincoln on Friday, 11 November. Elected Member of Parliament for Bath in 1979, Patten held several senior positions in Conservative governments under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and was…
London Branch: Book Club
London
The ESU London Branch Members’ book club meets once a month at Dartmouth House to exchange views on a book chosen by the group. Discussions take place from 11.00-12.30hrs on the third Wednesday of each month. If you would like to join our friendly and informal club please contact Kathleen…
Salisbury Branch: Johnny Fenn, 'Nepal - a photographer's perspective'
Salisbury & Wiltshire
As an ambassador for the charity Hello World, Johnny has travelled frequently to Nepal and been actively involved in their project to provide solar powered internet-enabled education hubs to remote communities. He has built a very successful career as a photographer specialising in adventure, expedition and commercial photography. Coffee will…
SAVE THE DATE: THANKSGIVING DINNER AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
London
Join us in celebration and support of our international exchange programmes with a very special Thanksgiving Dinner at the House of Commons. This event is part of the English-Speaking Union’s programme of celebrating global understanding through dialogue and will support our vital charitable mission of giving young people the speaking…
SAVE THE DATE: English Speaking Union's AGM
London
Please save the date for our annual general meeting.
Salisbury Branch: Felicity Herring, 'James Barry RA and his niece Dr James Barry'
Salisbury & Wiltshire
Dr James Barry was first female doctor in Britain. Born in Cork in 1789 she was the niece of the artist James Barry RA. In 1809 she disguised herself as a man and went to Edinburgh University to train to be a doctor. Following her graduation in 1812 she joined…
London Branch: Book Club
London
The ESU London Branch Members’ book club meets once a month at Dartmouth House to exchange views on a book chosen by the group. Discussions take place from 11.00-12.30hrs on the third Wednesday of each month. If you would like to join our friendly and informal club please contact Kathleen…
London Branch: Book Club
London
The ESU London Branch Members’ book club meets once a month at Dartmouth House to exchange views on a book chosen by the group. Discussions take place from 11.00-12.30hrs on the third Wednesday of each month. If you would like to join our friendly and informal club please contact Kathleen…
SAVE THE DATE: ESU Schools' Mace finals day
ESU Regional Event
Save the date for the finals day of the ESU Schools’ Mace, the oldest and largest debating competition for schools. Over 300 schools compete in the Schools’ Mace each year, but only twelve teams reach the finals day at Dartmouth House. Just two teams will make it to the grand…
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