My Maiden Speech

Training young people to speak in the House of Lords

What is My Maiden Speech? 

Creating opportunities for young people representing charities across the country to speak out on the subject they are passionate about, raising the profile of charities and the causes they fight for whilst giving people the skills and opportunity to be heard.

How does it work?

We invite one young beneficiary from 10 charities who each focus on a key issue that concerns politicians and communities including: education, environment, housing crisis, mental health and getting active, amongst others.

The young people will be invited to take part in one full-day workshop to teach them how to write and deliver speeches on their chosen subject with the help of professional speech writers and provide them with all the tools to continue progress in the following weeks.

After receiving additional feedback and help with developing their speech, the speakers are equipped with the tools to proceed to the final stage of the project, where they are invited to speak in front of a selected audience at the House of Lords. The event is attended by MPs, community leaders, young people and business leaders.

Outcomes

We find that this programme:

  • Gives us a unique insight into the young people’s experience and perception of some of the biggest discussion topics in the country today.
  • Gives young people the communication skills and experience to thrive in their next stage of their education and employment.
  • Raises the profile of charities doing amazing work.

 

This year (April-May 2024), we got the opportunity to train 13 different young people, each with a unique perspective and story to tell, representing their charity’s mission. With the funding of SEC Newgate UK and Cadent Gas, we were able to build confidence in these young individuals and give them a platform to voice their stories at the House of Lords.

We were grateful to have collaborated with young people representing the following charities:

Sutton Trust

Fair Education Alliance

UKYCC

Barnardo’s SEEN

UK Youth

Young Minds

Place2Be

Young Ealing Foundation

Ambitious about Autism

DePaul UK

London Youth Games

Young Enterprise

 

 

Here is what the 2024 cohort had to say about the experience:

Speakers Trust has influenced not only how I speak, but also how I move forward in life, giving me confidence that I can accomplish my goals.

Participant, with a speech on homelessness (DePaul UK)

I hope that every single young person gets an opportunity to take part in something like this. For so long, people like me haven’t been heard by the people who make decisions that impact our lives, yet this is the opportunity that changed that.

Louise Chandler, speaking about living with Autism (Ambitious about Autism)

 

If you wish to find out more about the programme and how your charity can get involved, email konstantina@speakerstrust.org