Political Platform

One of our students took to the stage at the recent Liberal Democrat Conference.

Having become interested in politics over the past few years, Elysia in Year 11 fulfilled one of her ambitions: to speak at a party conference. At the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference held at Bournemouth International Centre, she submitted items for debate and was selected to share her views on two occasions. In her three-minute speeches, she spoke about the issues and impacts of ‘corridor care’ in hospitals and the benefits of making public transport more affordable for young people. As the youngest speaker in the auditorium, she garnered lots of positive comments from her fellow party members.

“South Hampstead has really helped me to build my confidence and to use my voice – whether singing solos, acting, taking part in debate clubs or public speaking, there are so many opportunities to express yourself and engage with different audiences.”

Earlier this year, Elysia won the Worshipful Company of Educators’ Public Speaking Competition with a compelling five-minute speech on why young people should be educated about politics. She now helps a local school develop their oracy programme by volunteering to judge debating competitions alongside her South Hampstead peers.