It was celebrated with a dinner at Cessnock Leagues Club on May 11, with a mixture of current and former members.

Cessnock City Toastmasters Club was started by a group of enthusiastic locals in 1994.

It has since racked up more than 1000 meetings, helping hundreds of people from Cessnock and surrounding areas to develop their speaking skills and gain greater confidence in all kinds of situations.

Current Club president and longest serving member Anna van Netten paid contribute to the organisation.

"Toastmasters helped me gain the skills to become a marriage celebrant. Even after 23 years, I'm still improving, and every meeting is a fun night," she said.

The Toastmasters program was founded in the USA in 1924 to help returned servicemen gain the communication skills to find new careers. It has since expanded around the world, with nearly 200 clubs in Australia alone.

Past members include health professionals, teachers, business owners, real estate and hospitality workers, students, retirees and even a serving Miss Cessnock City.

Visitors are always welcome to come along and the club meets at 7pm every Monday night at Cessnock Leagues Club.

For more information contact Anna on 4990 4093, find the club on Facebook or check out cessnock.toastmastersclubs.org.