Truro School Prep Win Rotary Youth Speaks Shield for 2026

What do you say when you’re handed a microphone, a topic, and a room full of people watching? For a team of 10-year-olds from Truro School Prep, the answer was simple. Think from your mind, not from your screen.

That was the line that won them the 2026 Youth Speaks Shield.

A challenge to put down the phone

‘Think From Your Mind, Not From Your Screen’ was the topic that took the Truro Boscawen Rotary Club Youth Speaks Shield this year, earning the Truro School Prep team top spot in the junior section of the annual competition.

Four teams took part in the junior section, organised by the Rotary Club of Truro Boscawen at the Prep School earlier this year. Devoran School spoke on ‘The Language Without Words’. Truro High School discussed ‘Mary Queen of Scots’. And Perran-ar-Worthal CP School took on the subject of ‘Equality, Equality, Equality’.

From Truro to the West Cornwall round

The winning team didn’t stop there. They went forward to the Area 5 (West Cornwall) round to face teams from Falmouth, Redruth and Penzance and the surrounding areas, whose Rotary Clubs were each holding their own local heat.

The winner of that round was the team from Bodriggy Academy in Hayle, who spoke about the importance of learning a foreign language. They then competed against primary schools from across Devon and Cornwall in the District Final, held at Teign School in Kingsteignton. The Bodriggy youngsters were chosen as runners up, with a team from Ilfracombe Church of England Primary School taking first place.

High standards across the board

Chairman of the panel of three judges was Rotarian David Hughes. Two of the judges came from teaching and public service backgrounds unconnected with Rotary. “The standard this year has been as high as ever,” David told the audience.

Rotary Club President Mike Barber then presented certificates to each member of the four teams. The Rotary Club also made a donation to the library budgets of all the schools who took part.

What Youth Speaks is all about

The aim of the competition is to encourage young people to develop the creative and presentation skills essential to the art of public speaking. Teams of three take on the roles of Chairperson, Speaker and a third person who gives a Vote of Thanks. Participants pick a topic that matters to them, then research it, shape their ideas and build their knowledge around it.

There are three categories: Juniors (ages 7 to 10), Intermediate (ages 11 to 13) and Senior (ages 14 to 17). For more information about the Rotary Club of Truro Boscawen, contact Trisha Hewitt.

Rotary is one of the world’s largest membership and humanitarian service organisations, with 1.2 million members in over 200 countries. In the UK there are over 1,700 clubs and 47,000 members who volunteer their time to tackle challenges at home and abroad. The causes Rotary Clubs support include promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, supporting education, saving mothers and children, and growing local economies.