YFCU public speaking finals are held at Ballymena Academy

The event was held in Ballymena Academy and showcased the talents of over 130 YFCU members across Northern Ireland.

These members were selected for the finals following the county heats which seen over 300 participants take part in September and October 2024.

Derek Lough, chief executive officer of YFCU, said: “This competition is a testament to the commitment of our members, and of the personal and professional development of young farmers in Northern Ireland.”

The annual competition serves as a platform for participants to enhance their confidence, public speaking skills, research and preparation abilities, as well as time management.

Competitors chose to compete in either the prepared or impromptu sections, with some members participating in both.

For the Prepared section, members chose a particular topic from a set list, supplied in advance of the competition with the aim of adhering to the times set per age category.

The topics were “If I was YFCU President I would”, “The future of farming in Northern Ireland”, “The best invention ever is”, “The benefits of YFCU travel opportunities and hosting exchanges”, “A letter to past, present or future me”, “Empowering women in rural communities”, “What will YFCU look like in another 95 years”, “Overcoming mental health challenges in rural settings”, “If I was to swap lives with someone I would be” and “Benefits of having a cuppa and a catch up”.

The four impromptu topics were provided on the evening with 15-30 minutes to prepare a speech which had to last over 90 seconds.

Lauren Hamilton, NFU Mutual, attended the event and commended all the members, expressing her admiration for the remarkable talent displayed throughout the night.

Guest speaker at the event was Cynthia Currie, the interim director of education authority in Northern Ireland.

Cynthia commended the breadth of programme and opportunities that YFCU provides, particularly since the programme is run by members for members providing confidence building, creativity and leadership opportunities for rural youth.

She said: “The Education Authority continues to value the importance of volunteer led youth work, seeing it as both necessary and highly impactful for young people.”

As a former member of YFCU she shared how she had experienced first-hand the many benefits that the organisation has to offer and how she continues to be personally grateful for the opportunities it has given her.

She commended the members present in getting to the finals of the public speaking competition, being successful from among the hundreds of entrants who have competed this year and congratulated the winners.

The Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to platinum sponsor NFU Mutual Charitable Trust and all the judges that attended the heats and the final of the annual public speaking competition.