Environmental Youth Speak Competition Winners Announced

Winning pupils from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s annual Youth Speak competition attended a special awards ceremony at Warrenpoint Town Hall on Friday 17 June.

Environmental Youth Speak is a fun public speaking competition organised each year by the Council to encourage debate on sustainability issues. On presenting the winning pupils with their prizes, Council Chairperson, Councillor Michael Savage said, “I am delighted to present our young and gifted speakers with their prizes today. Their speeches were well researched and excellently presented and they should be very proud of being selected as winners in this popular competition.

“Both myself and the judges were very impressed by how knowledgeable each of the young people discussed an issue that affects us all. Managing waste and maximising what we recycle is something we must all take very seriously.”

The competition challenges primary and secondary school pupils to present their views to a panel of judges on an environmentally themed topic. In the junior section, this year’s topic was ‘I’m a Climate Change Champion and my mission is to stop the world from getting hotter!’.  The seniors were given the topic ‘Food Glorious Food. How Fighting Food Waste Helps the Planet’, to speak on.

Schools submitted their pre-recorded speeches for the judging panel to review and in the end

Joseph Manley from St Joseph’s Primary, Carnacaville was chosen as this year’s junior winner and Grace Grimley from Sacred Heart Grammar School, Newry won the senior section.

Runners up in the junior section were Jakub Janik from St Moninna’s Primary, Cloughoge and Alice McAlister from St Patrick’s Primary, Ballynahinch. Runners up in the senior section were Emilia Quinn from St Mary’s High School, Newry and Annabelle Leddy from St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel.