THE first round of Bridport Rotary Club's ‘Youth Speaks’ competition saw well-prepared and polished speakers from west Dorset schools.

This year saw teams from both Beaminster School and Sir John Colfox Academy taking part. Competitors were aged 11-13 for the intermediate competition, and 14-17 for the senior competition.

Rotarian Ivor Bending said: "We were fortunate to have three excellent adjudicators, Susan Moores, chairman, Keith Brown and David Powell, all well known locally and able to discern the elements required for this type of challenge, particularly when all he teams were very close indeed."

Mr Bending said the topics covered were very varied and all entertaining, from do we have too many words, keep calm and carry on, are we ever grown up, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can and laborious languages.

he added: "The teams were all really well prepared for this event, and their performances were polished and professional. The judges commended the participants on their ability to ‘recover’ their composure where they had felt the effects of nerves and carry on with their presentations."

The winners of the Intermediate competition were Beaminster School who chose the topic, ‘Do we have too many words?’

Mr Bending said: "Their speaker Alfie Webb excellently developed this theme, Ben Leather chaired the team and Nathaniel Ould was their proposer."

A team from Beaminster School also won the senior competition.

Ellen Ashley presented the question, ‘Are we ever grown up?’

Jess Teversham supported Ellen in the chair and Jemima Broomfield was the proposer.

Mr Bending said their presentation was thoughtful and humorous in equal measure.

He added: "The award for the best speaker of the evening went to Emily Hendry of Sir John Colfox School, whose presentation on the subject 'start where you are, use what you have, do what you can’ was fluent, thoughtful and eloquent."

The Rotary club’s president Roger Stoodley presented the certificates.