The national finals of this year’s RIBI Youth Speaks competition have taken place at Cornwallis Academy in Maidstone. Winner of the Senior category was Bury Grammar School for Girls, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bury speaking on the theme, The Father Christmas Myth. Best Speaker in the Senior category was Maheen Behrana of Bury Grammar School for Girls. Best Vote of Thanks was won by George Poole of Bowlands High School, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ribblesdale. Best Chairperson was won by Ella Blaxill of Colchester County High School for Girls, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Colchester Forum.
Winner of the Intermediate category was St Bedes Inter-Church School, sponsored by the Rotary Club of South Cambridge speaking on the theme, The Best Day of her Life. Best Speaker in the Intermediate category was Lucy Arnold of St Bedes Inter-Church School. Best Vote of Thanks was won by Damilola Adebayo of Concord College, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Church Stretton. Best Chairperson was won by Missy McLaren of John Ogilvie High School, Hamilton.
President of Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland (RIBI), Nan McCreadie said: “All the teams worked hard to get through the local regional heats and the standard was very high. Congratulations go not only to Bury Grammar School for Girls and St Bedes Inter-Church School, but to all the other schools who made it through to the national final. To get this far, all teams proved they have a flair for public speaking which will stand them in good stead for whatever they decide to do in the future.”
The RIBI Youth Speaks Competition offers young people aged 11-17 experience of speaking on a public platform as members of a team. Each year, hundreds of young people take part in the local and regional events that culminate in the RIBI national final.
