BPW UK - Annual Public Speaking Competition
Since 1972, Business and Professional Women UK Ltd., has sponsored a Public Speaking Competition for young people aged from 15 to 17 years inclusive. In the past few years, working closely with the English Speaking Board, we have restructured the competition allowing boys as well as girls to enter. The competition is run very much as a public meeting in miniature with a team of three: chairperson, a speaker (who takes the floor with another team) and an expresser of thanks. A total of fifteen minutes is allowed for each team to 'present', with the teams choosing their own subjects of national or international importance, as long as they do not conflict with BPW or the ESB's aims.
Within the London Anglia South East region, there are local clubs at Billericay, Norwich and Colchester, all of which hold a club heat for the competition. The club heats take place around late October/ early November, with the regional heat in February/March of the next year, followed by a national final in March / April.
Public Speaking Competition 2007/08
Six teams from Colchester schools took part in the local heat of the Business and Professional Women UK's annual Public Speaking Competition in November 2007. The winning teams from the Colchester Royal Grammar School, who spoke on the importance of reducing air travel, and Stanway School who provided an amusing argument about it not being to our advantage to win the Olympic Games 2012, went through to the regional final at the British Racing School in Newmarket in February 2008. Other schools who competed locally were the Colchester 6th Form College, Thomas Lord Audley and St Benedicts College.
At the regional final, the Colchester Royal Grammar School won prizes for best team, best chairperson and best expresser of thanks. They competed in the national final at Moreton Hall School, Oswestry in March 2008.
Local School Wins BPW UK's Public Speaking National Finals.
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In the National finals at Oswestry on Saturday 29th March 2008, the Colchester Royal Grammar School defeated other BPW regional finalists from the Midlands, Northern Ireland, North West, Southern England and Wales. The team won trophies for the best team and the best speaker in the competition.
Members of BPW Colchester were particularly delighted with the result as this was the first time since the BPW UK public speaking competition began in 1972 that a Colchester team has won the National Final.
