Young public speakers, with an average age of 14, voiced their views in the senior Youth Speaks competition organised by Royal Wootton Bassett & District Rotary Club.

Academy pupils, in four teams of three, addressed an appreciative audience at the Royal Wootton Bassett Sixth Form lecture theatre on a range of topics.

The judges were town clerk Johnathan Bourne, business training consultant Philip Potter, and parish assistant curate Jemma Sander-Heys, a former contestant. The victorious team – speaker Jos Elliot Jeapes, chair Lucy Aitken and thanks giver Lyndsay Gilder – go forward to the regional round of Youth Speaks.

MC Steve Bucknell congratulated all the speakers and Rotarian John Loran thanked everyone involved, including teacher Peter Burtwell, who co-ordinated the Academy’s participation.

Other teams were Fraser Chard, Harry Woodhouse and Bethan Knight; Ethan Corfield, Holly Gibbs and Ulani Seaman; Ryan Duff, Matthew Jameison and Peter Claasen.