A 15-year-old student has won the regional final of a public speaking competition.

On May 8, Sara Mohamady from Bentley Wood High School in Stanmore won the chance to go through to the Grand Final of the Jack Petchey “Speak Out” Challenge, on July 2, in Covent Garden. 

The regional final was held at Whitmore High School in Harrow, and the Grand Final will be held at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End.

The “Speak Out” Challenge is the world’s largest youth speaking event funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation and organised and managed by Speakers Trust, the UK’s leading public speaking charity.

Sara, who also scooped a top prize of a £100 gift certificate, impressed judges with her winning speech entitled “Wounds”, where she spoke movingly on the issue of gun and knife crime in the capital.

Sara Mohamady from Bentley Wood High School in Stanmore

Harrow Times:

Sara said: “I am over the moon. I am in disbelief. I am so grateful for this amazing programme. 

“Thanks to the Jack Petchey Foundation and Speakers Trust.”

Second place went to Oranus Mir Fawad, 15, from Park High School with their speech “The Unspoken Truth” and Elia Yousf, 15, from Whitmore High School received third place with a speech entitled "The Killer in You."

Harrow Times:

As part of the Challenge, more than 222 Year 10 students in Harrow’s state secondary schools received a one-day public speaking and communications training workshop to help them develop confidence in their public speaking skills.

London Assembly member, Navin Shah who presented the awards, said: "It's been a privilege to be here. 

“The Jack Petchey Foundation do incredible work, and the nurturing of young talent. It's been an incredible evening."

The judging panel included Sona Barbosa, services manager, Mind in Harrow; Navin Shah, assembly member for Brent and Harrow; Seema Menon, director of sales, Sony Pictures Network; Mike Cotton, Stanmore station manager, London Fire Brigade; Sushil Shah, president, Harrovian Speakers Club; PC Jennifer Bolitho-Jones, borough tasking team and Amin Abdullah, JPSOC runner-up, 2016-17.

For more information visit www.speakerstrust.org