Celebration ceremony for Brighton & Hove Young Speakers Challenge

A group of 100 young people aged 12 to 14 recently took part in the second Brighton & Hove Young Speakers Challenge and attended a celebration ceremony at the University of Sussex on Wednesday 25 March. 

This year we built on the success of the city’s first Young Speakers Challenge in 2025. The council, in collaboration with 9 local secondary schools and the University of Sussex, developed the project to help young people build confidence and public speaking skills.

Brighton & Hove Young Speakers Challenge

The Brighton & Hove Young Speakers Challenge consisted of an oracy training programme and inter-school competition. The challenge launched in January at Blatchington Mill School, the project’s lead school, followed by a series of events at participating schools. 

Sussex Writes, a student-led creative initiative at the University of Sussex, supported this year’s Young Speakers Challenge by attending in-school workshops to help pupils develop their physical oracy, presentation skills and speaking confidence. 

Pupils also visited the Mooting Room at the University of Sussex on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 February, offering participants an insight into university life and the opportunity to work with student ambassadors. 

Celebration ceremony

Dr Tom Wright, Head of the Department of English at the University of Sussex, delivered a welcome speech at the celebration ceremony. 

One student from each participating school was selected to deliver a short-spoken word performance on the theme of ‘in my world’ at the ceremony at the University of Sussex, following a series of in-school heats and workshops. 

A voting system was in place on the day and the winner of the challenge was Lanna Njualem from Cardinal Newman School, with second place going to Olly Penfold from Longhill High School and third place going to Jake Ford from Blatchington Mill School.

Valuable skills

Councillor Emma Daniel, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Youth Services, said: “I’d like to say a huge congratulations to the pupils who took part in this year’s Brighton & Hove Young Speakers Challenge. You should all be incredibly proud of your achievements.

“The Young Speakers Challenge is a wonderful opportunity for our young people to build their confidence, develop important life skills and express themselves creatively. These are powerful and valuable skills that will continue to benefit students for years to come.”

Dr Tom Wright said: "The Young Speakers’ Challenge is more than a competition. It gives young people the confidence, the language, and the presence to make themselves heard.

“There is that magic moment when a young person realises that people are actually listening to them – and that realisation stays with them. From that point on, it is not really about who wins, but about what each participant discovers they are capable of once they stand up and speak. 

“In a world where communication matters more than ever, these are not just school skills. They are life skills.”

A parent of a child that took part in the challenge said: "My son is thoroughly enjoying being part of the challenge. He was buzzing with excitement after the recent university workshop and couldn’t wait to tell us all about it! 

“He is learning some fantastic skills and I can see how this is helping to build his confidence and belief in his own abilities. Thanks so much for creating this opportunity for him.”