Youth Speaks Public Speaking Competition 2024

2024 District Youth Speaks Competition

The experience of public speaking is hugely valuable in building confidence and ambition. Each year we look to provide the benefits of Youth Speaks to more young people. Please see below for details of the 2024 competition.

Competition information is in the Youth Speaks Information Pack 2024 (click to download). Details of how to take part are in the Youth Speaks Entry Pack 2024 (click to download). Further support material for participating clubs and schools is available from the District Officer.

The 2025 programme is currently being planned and we will open for teams to register at the end of April.

Youth Speaks North of England Final               

(Prizes sponsored by RSK Group Ltd.)

The winners and runners-up from the Grand Final go forward to the North of England Final. The competing teams are from Balshaw's Church of England High School and Carnforth High School. The North of England Final is to be held at the Forest Hills Hotel, Frodsham on Sunday, 21st April 2024. (1.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.)

This Final is organised by Frodsham and Helsby Rotary.

Youth Speaks Grand Final Results

The District 1285 Grand Final was held at the Forest Hills Hotel, Frodsham on Sunday, 24th March 2024.  The overall standard of the presentations was the best we've seen. The Grand Final is organised by Frodsham and Helsby Rotary.

Biddulph District Heat (29th January 2024, 6.00 p.m.) Participating schools: All Hallows Catholic College, James Bateman Middle School (Intermediate winner), Woodhouse Academy, Congleton High School, Fallibroome Academy (Senior winner)

Wilmslow District Heat (30th January 2024, 6.30 p.m.) Participating schools: Alderley Edge School for Girls, Cheadle Hulme High School, Hazel Grove High School, Knutsford Academy (Senior winner), Wilmslow High School (Intermediate winner) 

St Helens District Heat, (31st January 2024, 6.00 p.m.) Participating schools: Bury Grammar School, Hawkley Hall High School, Hope Academy (Intermediate and Senior winner), St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Didsbury High School, Tower College

Leigh District Heat (1st February 2024, 5.00 p.m.) Participating schools: Bedford High School (Intermediate and Senior winner), Hazel Wood High School, St. Mary's Catholic High School

Golborne District Heat, (5th February 2024, 5.15 p.m.) Participating schools: Birchwood Community High School, Byrchall High School, Culcheth High School (Senior winner), Golborne High School, Lymm High School (Intermediate winner) 

Macclesfield District Heat (6th February 2024, 5.30 p.m.) Participating schools: All Hallows Catholic College (Intermediate winner), The Macclesfield Academy, Tytherington School (Senior winner), Fallibroome Academy

Bolton District Heat (7th February 2024, 5.30 p.m.) Participating schools: Bolton School Girls' Division (Intermediate winner), Ladybridge High School, Sharples School, Westhoughton High School, Laurus Ryecroft (Senior winner)

Rochdale District Heat (postponed to 28th February 2024, 5.30 p.m. owing to weather) Participating schools: Beech House School, Bury Grammar School (Senior winner), Falinge Park High School (Intermediate winner), Oldham Hulme Grammar School, Laurus Ryecroft

Warrington District Heat (8th February 2024, 6.00 p.m.) Participating schools: Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, Great Sankey High School, Helsby High School, Laurus Cheadle Hulme School (Intermediate and Senior winner)

District Finals

District Final (Macclesfield Castle) - The Warren Heyes Shield and The Wendy Sutcliffe Shield (Sunday, 3rd March 2024) (1.30 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.) (Organised by Macclesfield Castle Rotary) Participating Schools (Intermediate) James Bateman Middle School, Wilmslow High School (Intermediate winner), All Hallows Catholic College, Hazel Grove High School (Senior) Fallibroome Academy (Senior winner), Knutsford Academy, Tytherington School, Congleton High School

District Final (Rochdale) - The Henshaw Shield and The Farraday Shield (Wednesday, 6th March 2024) (5.30 p.m. to 8.45 p.m.) (Organised by Rochdale Rotary) Participating Schools (Intermediate) Bedford High School, Bolton School Girls' Division (Intermediate winner), Falinge Park High School, St. Mary's Catholic High School (Senior) Bedford High School, Laurus Ryecroft, Bury Grammar School (Senior winner), St. Mary's Catholic High School, Beech House School

District Final (Newton-le-Willows) - The Peter James-Robinson Shield and The Swati Mukherjee Shield (Monday, 11th March 2024) (5.30 p.m. to 8.45 p.m.) (Organised by Newton-le-Willows Rotary) Participating Schools (Intermediate) Hope Academy, Lymm High School, Laurus Cheadle Hulme School, Helsby High School (Intermediate winner) (Senior) Hope Academy (Senior winner), Culcheth High School, Laurus Cheadle Hulme School, Great Sankey High School

For 2024 the growth of the competition means we have increased to three District Finals. A big thank you to the Rotary clubs Macclesfield Castle, Rochdale and Newton-le-Willows for organising these events.

2024 Youth Speaks District Final Results

These teams have reached the Grand Final to be held on Sunday, 24th March 2024 at the Forest Hills Hotel, Frodsham.

District Final S- "The Warren Heyes Shield" District Champion Wilmslow High School 
District Final S - "The Wendy Sutcliffe Shield"  District Champion Fallibroome Academy
District Final NE- "The Henshaw Shield" District Champion  Bolton School Girls' Division
District Final NE- "The Farraday Shield" District Champion Bury Grammar School
District Final NW - "The Peter James-Robinson Shield"  District Champion Helsby High School
District Final NW - "The Swati Mukherjee Shield"  District Champion Hope Academy

Participating Schools in the 2024 District competition

Alderley Edge School for Girls, All Hallows Catholic College, Bedford High School, Beech House School, Birchwood Community High School, Bolton School (Girls), Bury Grammar School, Byrchall High School, Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, Cheadle Hulme High School, Congleton High School, Culcheth High School, Didsbury High School, Falinge Park High School, Fallibroome Academy, Golborne High School, Great Sankey High School, Hawkley Hall High School, Hazel Grove High School, Hazel Wood High School, Helsby High School, Hope Academy, James Bateman Middle School, Knutsford Academy, Ladybridge High School, Laurus Cheadle Hulme School, Laurus Ryecroft, Lymm High School, Oldham Hulme Grammar School, Sharples School, St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, St. Mary's Catholic High School, The Macclesfield Academy, Tower College, Tytherington School, Westhoughton High School, Wilmslow High School, Woodhouse Academy.

Participating Rotary Clubs in 2024

Biddulph, Bolton Daybreak, Bolton Lever, Bolton with le Moors, Bramhall & Woodford, Chadderton & Failsworth, Cheadle Royal, Congleton, Frodsham and Helsby, Knutsford, Leigh, Macclesfield Castle, Manchester Breakfast, Newton & District Jubilee, Newton-le-Willows, Radcliffe, Rochdale, Sandbach, St Helens, Tameside, Warrington, Westhoughton, Widnes, Wigan, Wilmslow & District.

Personal information will be used in compliance with the Rotary Privacy Notice - Youth Competitions (click to download).