Youth Speaks Public Speaking Competition 2025

2025 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. 

Competition information is in the Youth Speaks Information Pack 2025 (click to download). Details of how to take part are in the Youth Speaks Entry Pack 2025 (click to download). Further support material for participating clubs and schools is available from the Youth Speaks District Coordinator.

Youth Speaks Grand Final Results 2025 

The Forest Hills Trophy (Intermediate) 

Winner - Bridgewater School, Runner-up Lymm High School. 

The Forest Hills Trophy (Senior) 

Winner - All Hallows Catholic College, Runner-up - Tytherington School. 

The Grand Final took place on Sunday, 23rd March 2025, 1.00 p.m. at the Forest Hills Hotel, Overton Hill, Frodsham, WA6 6HH (Hosted by Frodsham & Helsby Rotary)

The teams taking part were Intermediate:- All Hallows Catholic College, Bridgewater School, Falinge Park High School, Lymm High School. Senior:- All Hallows Catholic College, Bedford High School, Thornleigh Salesian College, Tytherington School. Sponsoring Rotary Clubs Bolton Daybreak, Leigh, Macclesfield Castle, Rochdale, Warrington, Worsley.

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

Youth Speaks North and East of England Final 2025

The final event of the 2024-5 Youth Speaks competition is on Saturday, 29th March 2025, 12.30 p.m. at The Club, Brownedge Road, Lostock Hall, Preston, PR5 5AA 

The Final is being hosted by Leyland Rotary on behalf of District 1190. The teams are from Rotary Districts 1190 (Lancashire and Cumbria), 1070 (East Midlands) and this District (1285). A big thank you to Leyland Rotary for organising it.

Participating Schools: All Hallows Catholic College, Balshaw’s Church of England High School, Bridgewater School, Catmose College, Lymm High School, Thornleigh Salesian College, Tytherington School.

Sponsoring Clubs: Bolton Daybreak, Leyland, Macclesfield Castle, Uppingham, Warrington, Worsley.

District Finals 2025 results

District Final S  "The Warren Heyes Shield" (Intermediate) District Champion All Hallows Catholic College

District Final S  "The Wendy Sutcliffe Shield" (Senior) District Champion Tytherington School

District Final NW "The Peter James-Robinson Shield" (Intermediate) District Champion Lymm High School

District Final NW  "The Swati Mukherjee Shield" (Senior) District Champion Bedford High School

District Final NE "The Henshaw Shield" (Intermediate) District Champion Falinge Park High School

District Final NE "The Farraday Shield" (Senior) District Champion Thornleigh Salesian College

District Heats 2025 (The Entry Pack has more details, e.g. venues.)

The results of the 2025 competition are being entered below as they happen. Winners are shown in red.

Radcliffe District Heat (23rd January 2025, 5.30 p.m.) Schools Bury Grammar School (Senior), Hazel Wood High School, Westhoughton High School (Intermediate), Rotary Clubs Radcliffe, Westhoughton.

Biddulph District Heat (27th January 2025, 6.00 p.m.) Schools James Bateman Middle School (Intermediate), St Edward’s Church of England Academy, Woodhouse Academy, All Hallows Catholic College (Senior), Congleton High School, Fallibroome Academy, Rotary Clubs Biddulph, Leek, Congleton, Macclesfield Castle. 

Wilmslow District Heat (28th January 2025, 6.30 p.m.) Schools Hazel Grove High School, Helsby High School, Priestnall High School (Senior), Wilmslow High School (Intermediate), Cheadle Hulme High School, Rotary Clubs Bramhall & Woodford, Frodsham & Helsby, Stockport Lamplighter, Wilmslow & District, Cheadle Royal.

St Helens District Heat, (29th January 2025, 6.00 p.m.) Schools Byrchall High School, St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School (Senior), St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School (Intermediate), Tower College. Rotary Clubs Newton-le-Willows, St Helens, Widnes.

Leigh District Heat (30th January 2025, 5.00 p.m.) Schools Bedford High School (Senior), Bridgewater School (Intermediate), Ladybridge High School, St. Mary's Catholic High School. Rotary Clubs Leigh, Worsley, Bolton Lever.

Rochdale District Heat (3rd February 2025, 5.30 p.m.  Schools Beech House School, Falinge Park High School (Intermediate), Hulme Grammar School (Senior), Kingsway Park High School. Rotary Clubs Chadderton and Failsworth, Rochdale.

Macclesfield District Heat (4th February 2025, 5.30 p.m.) Schools All Hallows Catholic College (Intermediate), Fallibroome Academy, The Macclesfield Academy, Tytherington School (Senior). Rotary Clubs Macclesfield Castle.

Bolton District Heat (5th February 2025, 5.30 p.m.) Schools Bolton School (Girls), Sharples School, St Ambrose Barlow RC High School, Thornleigh Salesian College (Intermediate and Senior).   Rotary Clubs Bolton Daybreak, Bolton with le Moors, Worsley.

Golborne District Heat, (6th February 2025, 5.15 p.m.)  Schools Culcheth High School (Senior), Golborne High School, Hope Academy (Intermediate). Rotary Clubs Culcheth & District, Newton-le-Willows.

Knutsford District Heat (11th February 2025, 5.30 p.m.) Schools Didsbury High School (Intermediate), Knutsford Academy (Senior), The County High School Leftwich, Weaverham High School. Rotary Clubs Manchester Breakfast, Knutsford, Northwich.

Tameside District Heat (12th February 2025, 5.30 p.m.) Schools Laurus Cheadle Hulme (Intermediate and Senior), Laurus Rycroft High School. Rotary Clubs Cheadle Royal, Tameside.

Warrington District Heat (13th February 2024, 6.00 p.m.) Schools Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, Great Sankey High School (Senior), Lymm High School (Intermediate). Rotary Clubs Warrington.

Participating Schools in the 2025 District competition

Alderley Edge School for Girls, All Hallows Catholic College, Bedford High School, Beech House School, Bolton School Girls' Division, Bridgewater School, 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, Hazel Wood High School, Helsby High School, Hope Academy, Hulme Grammar School (formerly OHGS), James Bateman Middle School, Kingsway Park High School , Knutsford Academy, Knutsford Academy, Ladybridge High School, Laurus Cheadle Hulme, Laurus Ryecroft High School, Leftwich High School, Lymm High School, Priestnall School, Sharples School, St Ambrose Barlow RC High School , St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School, St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, St Edward's Church of England Academy, St. Mary's Catholic High School, The Macclesfield Academy, Thornleigh Salesian College, Tower College, Tytherington School, Weaverham High School, Westhoughton High School, Wilmslow High School, Woodhouse Academy. (45 Schools.)

Participating Rotary Clubs in 2025

Biddulph, Bolton Daybreak, Bolton Lever, Bolton with le Moors, Bramhall & Woodford, Chadderton & Failsworth, Cheadle Royal, Congleton, Culcheth & District, Frodsham and Helsby, Knutsford, Leek, Leigh, Macclesfield Castle, Manchester Breakfast, Newton-le-Willows, Northwich, Radcliffe, Rochdale, St Helens, Stockport Lamplighter, Tameside, Warrington, Westhoughton, Widnes, Wilmslow & District, Worsley. (27 Clubs.)

Here are the results of our fantastic 2024 competition, with more teams, more schools and more clubs than ever before.

Youth Speaks District Final Results 2024

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

Youth Speaks Grand Final Results 2024

The Forest Hills Trophy (Intermediate) Winners Laurus Cheadle Hulme School Runners-up  Bolton School Girls' Division
The Forest Hills Trophy (Senior) Winners  Bury Grammar School Runners-up  Bedford High School 

Youth Speaks North of England Final Results 2024  

(Prizes sponsored by RSK Group Ltd.)

The North of England Final took place on Sunday, 21st April 2024, with teams from Balshaw's Church of England High School, Carnforth High School, Bolton School, Laurus Cheadle Hulme School, Bury Grammar School and Bedford High School. It was a fantastic event with superb performances from the teams. Bolton School (intermediate) and Bedford High School (senior) received the North of England individual trophies and prizes which were kindly donated by RSK Group Ltd. Runners up were Laurus Cheadle Hulme School (intermediate) and Bury Grammar School (senior).

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