TEAMS of students from Stourbridge schools demonstrated their presentation skills as part of the national Youth Speaks competition.

Pupils had to speak on themes of their own choice to an audience of fellow students, parents and teachers, under the judging eyes of the local Rotary Club and Stourbridge Speakers Club.

Each of the eight team were comprised of a chairperson who introduced the team and the topic, a speaker who presented the subject, and a proposer of the vote of thanks who brought the team’s performance to a conclusion.

President of the Rotary Club of Stourbridge, Arthur Baker, who chaired the panel of judges, said: “Rotary is pleased to be able to host competitions for young people and my fellow judges and I were very impressed with their courage in taking to the stage and the high standard of their presentations.

“They were a credit to their schools, their teachers and their parents.”

The winners in the intermediate category, for pupils aged 11 to 13-years-olds, were Aimee Erb, Skye Warwicker and Georgia Phillips of Redhill School who spoke on their chosen topic ‘Uniformed Generation’.

In the senior section, for students aged 14 to 17-years-old, George Glasby, Manraj Sanghera and Ben Phillips of King Edward VI College took home first place on the subject of ‘Young people have nothing to live for’.

The two teams will now go forward to the district round of the national competition which is run by Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland.

Mr Baker added: “We now look forward to the possibility of our worthy winners progressing further in the competition.”

Pupils from Haybridge High School, Old Swinford Hospital School and Pedmore Technology College also took part.