POI – Power of Interest

Building confident speakers through the power of interest

Join a Session Learn More

What We Offer

Explore everything POI has to offer — from developing your skills to competing on the debate stage.

Our Mission

To give back to our community by changing lives through debate — ensuring that everybody has equal access to the skills, confidence and opportunities that debate provides.

Read Our Story

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about joining POI.

POI welcomes students from Year 7 to Year 13. Whether you're just starting secondary school or preparing for sixth form, there's a place for you here.

No experience needed at all — that's exactly why POI exists! Our online skills workshops are designed to take you from complete beginner to confident debater, step by step.

We run sessions both online and in person. In-person sessions are held in Oxford. Online sessions are held over Google Meet — once you sign up, a link will be sent out to you ahead of the session.

We're still working this out as we grow! Online sessions will likely have no fixed cap, while in-person sessions accommodate up to 24 participants. If demand is high, we'll look at running additional cohorts.

It is preferable to attend both online and in-person sessions, as the online webinars lay the foundation for the in-person debates. However, we aim to record the online webinars and send them out for those unable to make them. Our competitions are totally optional and just a bit of fun!

Company Policies

Last updated: April 2026 — POI (Power of Interest), in the process of charity registration.

1. Equal Opportunities

POI is committed to providing equal opportunities to all participants in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.

2. Safeguarding

The welfare of all participants, particularly those under 18, is our highest priority. POI operates in accordance with national safeguarding guidelines. A designated Safeguarding Trustee oversees all safeguarding matters. Any concerns should be reported to poi.info.help@gmail.com.

3. Code of Conduct

Participants, volunteers and trustees are expected to conduct themselves respectfully and professionally at all times, both in person and online. Harassment, bullying or inappropriate behavior will result in removal from sessions.

4. Financial Governance

All funds collected by POI are used exclusively to operate and grow our debate program. Financial records are maintained transparently and will be subject to charity commission reporting upon successful registration.

5. Complaints Procedure

Any complaints regarding POI activities, staff or volunteers should be submitted in writing to poi.info.help@gmail.com. All complaints will be acknowledged within 5 working days.

Data Safety Policy

Last updated: April 2026 — In compliance with the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.

What Data We Collect

When you sign up for a session or contact us, we collect: your name, email address, school name and type, and your parent/guardian's name and email address (for participants under 18).

How We Use Your Data

Data Retention (TTL)

Data is not retained after the event for which it was collected. All personal information submitted for a session is deleted within 30 days of that session taking place. Contact form submissions are retained only for as long as necessary to respond to your enquiry, and no longer than 90 days.

Your Rights

Under the UK Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to access, correct or request deletion of your personal data at any time. Contact us at poi.info.help@gmail.com to exercise these rights.

Data Security

Your data is stored securely and is only accessible to authorised POI trustees. We do not sell or share your data with third parties.

Contact

For data protection enquiries: poi.info.help@gmail.com