Youth Speaks Public Speaking Competition 2026

2026 District Youth Speaks Competition

The experience of public speaking is hugely valuable in building confidence and ambition. Youth Speaks gives young people the opportunity to speak about something which matters to them.  Whatever they choose it’s their say. The team of three consist of the Chair, the Speaker and the Proposer of the Vote of Thanks. Each has a distinct and challenging role. The Speaker has 6 minutes to address the audience, the others 2 minutes each.

Each year we look to provide the benefits of Youth Speaks to more young people and every year is a record year as the numbers grow. 

The District Heats are the first round. Winners go forward to the District Finals. Winners of the District Finals go forward to the Grand Final. Winners and runners-up of the Grand Final go forward to the North of England Final.

Competition information is in the Youth Speaks Information Pack 2026 (click to download). Details of how to take part are in the Youth Speaks Entry Pack 2026 (click to download). Further support material for participating clubs and schools is available from the Youth Speaks District Coordinator. The results of the 2026 competition will be entered below as they happen. Winners are in red.

District Heats 2026 (see the Entry Pack for venue details.)

Worsley District Heat (26th January 2026, 5.30 p.m.) Schools Bridgewater School, Harper Green School, Rotary Clubs Tyldesley with Atherton, Worsley

Bolton District Heat (27th January 2026, 5.30 p.m.)  Schools Bolton School (Boys), Sharples School, Thornleigh Salesian College, Westhoughton High School, Rotary Clubs Bolton Daybreak, Bolton with le Moors, Westhoughton

Wilmslow District Heat, (28th January 2026, 6.30 p.m.) Schools Didsbury High School, Hazel Grove High School, Wilmslow High School, St Ambrose College, Dixons Newall Green High School, Rotary Clubs Altrincham, Sale, Bramhall & Woodford, District Hub, Wilmslow & District.

Golborne District Heat (29th January 2026, 5.00 p.m.) Schools Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, Golborne High School, Hope Academy, The Sutton Academy Rotary Clubs Newton-le-Willows, Rainhill, Warrington.

Rochdale District Heat (2nd February 2026, 5.30 p.m.  Schools Beech House School, Falinge Park High School, Hulme Grammar School, Kingsway Park High School. Rotary Clubs Chadderton and Failsworth, Rochdale.

Macclesfield District Heat (3rd February 2026, 5.30 p.m.) Schools All Hallows Catholic College, Fallibroome Academy, The Macclesfield Academy, Tytherington School, Rotary Club Macclesfield Castle.

Leigh District Heat, (4th February 2026, 5.00 p.m.)  Schools Bedford High School, St. Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, St. Mary's Catholic High School, Tower College, Rotary Clubs Leigh, Newton-le-Willows, Widnes.

Knutsford District Heat (5th February 2026, 5.30 p.m.) Schools Hazel Grove High School, Laurus Cheadle Hulme, Knutsford Academy, Lymm High School, The County High School Leftwich.  Rotary Clubs Bramhall & Woodford, Knutsford, Northwich, Cheadle Royal, Warrington.

Radcliffe District Heat (5th February 2026, 5.30 p.m.) Schools Bury Grammar School, Hazel Wood High School, The Derby High School, Rotary Club Radcliffe

Biddulph District Heat (9th February 2026, 6.00 p.m.)  Schools James Bateman Middle School, All Hallows Catholic College , Congleton High School, Fallibroome Academy, Rotary Clubs Biddulph, Congleton, Macclesfield Castle. 

Warrington District Heat (9th February 2026, 5.30 p.m.) Schools Great Sankey High School, Helsby High School, Lymm High School, Penketh High School, St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School. Rotary Clubs Frodsham & Helsby, St Helens, Warrington.

District Finals 2026

District Final N "The Henshaw Shield" (Intermediate) won by Bridgewater School, "The Farraday Shield" (Senior) won by Hazel Wood High School. Sunday, 8th February, hosted by Rochdale Rotary at Rochdale Town Hall

District Final W  "The Val Gannon Shield" (Intermediate) won by Lymm High School, "The Roy Smith Shield" (Senior) won by Bedford High School. Saturday 28th February, hosted by Warrington Rotary at Stockton Heath Methodist Church.

District Final S  "The Warren Heyes Shield" (Intermediate) won by Lymm High School, "The Wendy Sutcliffe Shield" (Senior) won by All Hallows Catholic College. Sunday 1st March, hosted by Macclesfield Castle Rotary at The Macclesfield Academy.

Grand Final 2026

The Forest Hills Trophy (Intermediate) 

Winner - Lymm High School (Year 9 team), Runner-up Lymm High School (Year 7 team). 

The Forest Hills Trophy (Senior) 

Winner - Bedford High School, Runner-up - All Hallows Catholic College. 

The Grand Final took place on Sunday, 8th March 2026, at the Forest Hills Hotel, Overton Hill, Frodsham, WA6 6HH (Hosted by Frodsham & Helsby Rotary)

The teams taking part were Intermediate:- Bridgewater School, Lymm High School (3 teams). Senior:- All Hallows Catholic College, Bedford High School, Hazel Wood High School, Helsby High School. Sponsoring Rotary Clubs Frodsham & Helsby, Leigh, Macclesfield Castle, Radcliffe, Warrington, Worsley.

The standard of the presentations was incredibly high and a great credit to the teams and their teachers and parents.

North of England Final 2026

The North of England Final Individual Trophies (Senior and Intermediate) Sunday, 22nd March, hosted by Frodsham and Helsby Rotary at the Forest Hills Hotel, Frodsham. This was the sixteenth and final event of the 2025-6 Youth Speaks competition.

Winners  Intermediate - Lymm High School.  Senior - All Hallows Catholic College.

Runners-up Intermediate - Lymm High School. Senior - Balshaw’s Church of England High School.

Congratulations to all the teams which took part and gave such superb performances.

The teams are from Rotary Districts 1190 (Lancashire and Cumbria) and this District (1285). 

Participating Schools: All Hallows Catholic College, Balshaw’s Church of England High School, Lymm High School, St Bede's High School, Bedford High School.

Sponsoring Clubs: Leigh, Leyland, Macclesfield Castle, Warrington.

Schools entering the 2026 District competition Welcome to new entrants this year shown in gold

All Hallows Catholic College, Bedford High School, Beech House School, Bolton School Boys' Division, Bridgewater School, Bury Grammar School, Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, Congleton High School, Didsbury High School, Dixons Newall Green High School, Falinge Park High School, Fallibroome Academy, Golborne High School, Great Sankey High School, Harper Green School , Hazel Grove High School, Hazel Wood High School, Helsby High School, Hope Academy, Hulme Grammar School, James Bateman Middle School, Kingsway Park High School , Knutsford Academy, Laurus Cheadle Hulme, Laurus Ryecroft High School, Lymm High School, Penketh High School , Priestnall School, Sharples School, St Ambrose College, St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School, St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, St. Mary's Catholic High School, The County High School Leftwich, The Derby High School, The Macclesfield Academy, The Sutton Academy, Thornleigh Salesian College, Tower College, Tytherington School , Westhoughton High School, Wilmslow High School, plus one direct team entry. (42 in total)

Participating Rotary Clubs in 2026 Welcome to new clubs this year shown in gold

Altrincham, Biddulph, Bolton Daybreak, Bolton Lever, Bolton with le Moors, Bramhall & Woodford, Chadderton & Failsworth, Cheadle Royal, Congleton, District Hub, Frodsham and Helsby, Knutsford, Leigh, Macclesfield Castle, Newton-le-Willows, Northwich, Radcliffe, Rainhill, Rochdale, Sale, Sandbach, St Helens, Stockport Lamplighter, Tameside, Tyldesley with Atherton, Warrington, Westhoughton, Widnes, Wilmslow & District, Worsley. (29 sponsoring and 2 supporting)

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