North Devon’s Youth Speaks
Tony Gussin
Saturday, February 16, 2013
11.40 AM
Pilton and West Buckland teams do well at local heats of annual Rotary Club competition.
Rotary district governor Graham Smith with the 14-17 winning West Buckland School team of Alex Moore, Clover May and Vicky Griffin at the North Devon Youth Speaks competition. Picture: Blue Hawk Photography.YOUNG people in North Devon have been speaking out at the Youth Speaks competition organised by Rotary.
Pilton Community College and West Buckland School took the area trophies at the annual public speaking event, which was hosted by Barnstaple Hotel and they now go on to the Devon finals.
Eight teams took part, from Holsworthy Community College, Great Torrington School and Sports College, Kingsley School, West Buckland School, Pilton Community College and Dulverton Middle School.
“The standard of the oratory and the confidence of the participants was outstanding,” said Jeremy Drakeford of Bideford Bridge Rotary Club, who helped organised this year’s North Devon finals, supported by funding from Appledore County Councillor Alison Boyle.
The Pilton team of chairman Lili Farris, speaker Stanley Whittaker and proposer Max Mepsted won the intermediate section for 11 to 13 year-olds with their speech on ‘Where are my manners?’
The West Buckland team of Vicky Griffin, Alex Moore and Clover May won the 14 to 17 years-old category, speaking on the ‘Problem of Pessimism’.