A GROUP from a school near Oswestry has placed second in a regional speaking competition.

Students from Moreton Hall in Weston Rhyn finished second in the Youth Speaks Rotary public speaking competition which aims to challenge the abilities of secondary school to perform, persuade and entertain an audience.

Each year the Rotary Club of Oswestry holds an autumn competition to start the search for teams at both intermediate and senior levels with the winning teams progressing to competitions at Rotary District, Regional and then possibly National Finals.

Groups talk on a topic of their own choice in an attempt to display their wit and knowledge.

Well supported this year by schools in the Oswestry region, the club competition winners were a senior team from The Marches and an Intermediate team from Moreton Hall.

Although both teams went on to acquit themselves well in the district round in early March the senior team from The Marches of Jenny Cyffin-Jones, Christopher Walker and Twila Morris were eliminated despite Jenny winning the Best Speaker of the round.

However, the Moreton Hall intermediate team of Charlotte Pryce, Grace Naylor and Eloise Bowyer won their section speaking on 'Sexism Has Not Been Solved Just Changed'.

"I talked about LGBTQ rights and women’s rights tracking the development here in the UK from the Suffragettes to the ubiquitous #MeToo Movement," said their speaker Eloise.

Presenting that same topic at the regional final at the Catrin Finch Centre in Wrexham University again last weekend, competition was fierce with the Moreton Hall team coming "a very, very close second" to an excellent Tytherington High School team who will now go on to the National Final in Nottingham.

"The competition has come to an end for this year but what an excellent standard of public speaking we have seen from these young people on their journey," said Sue Leonard of Oswestry Rotary Club.

"Congratulations to the Moreton Hall team and many thanks to all the supporters who travelled to encourage them."