On Sunday, the 24th of March, Bury Grammar School's Senior Public Speaking team travelled to Frodsham to take part in the District Grand Final of the Rotary sponsored Youth Speaks competition.

The team, comprising of Grace, Emily and Lucy (Year 11), had already secured two wins in previous heats to get them to the final. 

As Main Speaker, it was Grace's job to deliver her speech, which was entitled: Is it uncool to be a feminist? Lucy had the challenging task of chairing the whole presentation, whilst Emily then delivered her speech as The Proposer of the Vote of Thanks. 

As expected, the standard at the Youth Speaks final were exceptionally high, and the BGS team certainly felt the pressure. However, they rose to the occasion admirably, channelling their nerves to deliver a prize-winning performance, which resulted in them winning the competition in the senior category! 

This win comes as a result of many months of commitment and hard work from the team, during which time they have developed many skills that will benefit them for life. As the winners, pupils were awarded the Faraday Shield, which was donated to the Rotary Club from Jack Faraday JP OBE, who coincidentally, served Bury Grammar School as Clerk to the Governors from 1955-1985. Jack was a life member of the BGS Old Boys and continued to attend the Founders’ Day dinner until he passed in 2003. To read a more about Jack Faraday JP OBE and the Faraday Shield please click on this link: History of Faraday. 

With the victory, the Faraday Shield has once again returned to its home at Bury Grammar School. The shield holds a special significance for the school community, not only as a representation of their recent triumph but also as a reminder of their longstanding legacy in public speaking. 

Mrs Lynch, Teacher of English said, 

“Congratulations to our remarkable team for their victory in the Grand Final of the Youth Speaks competition. Your journey throughout this competition has not only showcased your remarkable public speaking skills but also your resilience, teamwork, and unwavering commitment to excellence. The ability to communicate successfully, especially in an ever-increasing digital world, is not something to be taken lightly. Words have the ability to inspire, create, persuade and connect; they can advocate for change and shape the future: their power should never be underestimated. Congratulations on using your words eloquently to secure this fantastic win. Bury Grammar School is incredibly proud of you." 

The Main Speaker Grace told us, 

“Participating in Rotary Youth Speaks has been an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding experience; one that I will never forget. It has cultivated my passion for public speaking, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for our team.”