Public Speaking Academy - Debate Training

This session is primarily aimed at prepping the JCI Manchester debate team for the national competition in November. We’ll cover the rules, scoring and everything we need to be within the best chance of bringing that trophy home!

It will also be useful for anyone wanting to hone their skills in constructing arguments, thinking on your feet and handling objections.

About our speaker

Ilona Alcock - Sector Group Manager, pro-manchester and Co-ordination Director, JCI Manchester

Ilona is the Sector Group Manager at pro-manchester, the largest business development organisation in the North West. Having held a diverse range of roles in the past – everything from Commercial Litigation Solicitor in DLA Piper UK LLP to running a bespoke software development company with her husband – Ilona has a gained a real insight into what makes different businesses work.Outside of her day jobs, Ilona has been an active JCI member since 2011 and was President of JCI Sheffield in 2014. 

Highlights of her JCI career include making the European finals of both debating and public speaking, launching the JCI UK Ten Outstanding Young Persons Awards and winning European awards for two local projects (one of which was also shortlisted globally). She utilises her experience to run training courses on public speaking and networking for a range of audiences, including the JCI UK Public Speaking Academy.

Since losing a friend to suicide in August 2015, Ilona has become a passionate advocate for mental health issues. This has included running trail marathons for Mind, climbing the national three peaks for Anxiety UK and taking part in numerous panel discussions.