Brentford School Pupil Named 'Speak Out' Champion

Ashley de Guzman wins regional final in public speaking competition

Ashley de Guzman with Ruth Cadbury MP

Ashley de Guzman from the Brentford School for Girls has been named “Speak Out” Hounslow Regional Champion.

The “Speak Out” Challenge offers all state schools in London and Essex the opportunity to train Year 10 students in the art of public speaking. Through a knock out process the ‘best’ of these speakers are identified and go on to an inter-school competition to vie for the title of Regional Champion.

Ashley was presented her award by Ruth Cadbury MP who was part of the judging panel that had the difficult of task of identifying the top three speakers in the Region. A large audience (made up of parents, teaching professionals, family members and friends) listened to 15 different speeches which reflected the priorities, humour and concerns of young people. The event took place on Tuesday 6 March at this year’s host school The Heathland School, Hounslow.

Ms Cadbury said, “Congratulations to Ashley who deservedly won the award of regional champion. Speakers Trust is a charity that helps teenagers speak in public and communicate better, with the aim of giving them better life chances, to increase their confidence and improve their employability.”

“Well done to all the competitors, who had already won their own school’s competitions and competed for the regional title to a very high standard”

The “Speak Out” Challenge! Is the largest youth speaking event in the world. Through this programme, they train over 18,000 teenagers every year in over 550 state school in London and Essex. At the end of each training workshop they hold a speaking competition and the winners go through to one of 37 Regional Finals where they compete against all the schools in the borough. This will be the tenth year that the Jack Petchey Foundation has funded the “Speak Out” Challenge! - a project delivered in partnership with Speakers Trust.

March 16, 2018