Meet Grand Finalist, Matilda Pham

We are delighted to share that this has been the biggest year ever for Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge. Up to 30,000 students have been trained in over 500 schools across all of London and Essex.

Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge provides year 10 students in state schools across London and Essex with public speaking and communication training to increase their confidence, sense of agency and drive to make a difference in society.

During the academic year, over 500 schools have received a free one-day public speaking workshops for their students. The student’s confidence in speaking to an audience, without notes, is measured at the beginning and at the end of the day. During 2022-2023 76% of students have increased their confidence to stand up and talk to a group of people. At the end of the day, every school nominates one student to go on to a Regional or Digital Final, where they compete again other school finalists and their speeches are judged based on content delivery, structure and positive impact by a panel of esteemed judges. After going on to win the semi-finals, our 15 inspirational, articulate, and impressive speakers are now ready to present their speech to you!

We will celebrate the achievements of these awe-inspiring young people in the heart of London’s West End at Cambridge Theatre on Monday 10th July and crown the 2023 “Speak Out” Champion!

In no particular order, meet 2023 Grand Finalist Matilda Pham! 

Their speech ‘Gratitude To My Mother’ earned them and their school, Saint Mary Magdalene Church of England All Through School, first place in their Greenwich Regional Final. Matilda dreams of a world where single mothers like her own are appreciated to the fullest.  

We asked Matilda, what three items or people would you choose to take to a desert island and why? 

A helicopter, a pilot to leave the island and my best friend for entertainment.

What is your favourite saying or quote and why?

“Do not push the river, it will flow itself.”

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be and why?  

Noodles because they are extremely versatile.

What three top tips on life would you give a Year Seven student? 

Find a lovely friend group that supports you, enjoy the years before your gcses and don’t fear the change because it’s not as scary as it seems.

You could have made a speech anything in the world. Why did you speak about this one subject? 

It’s a topic that hits close to home and affects a lot of people, yet it is not spoken about enough, leading to fallacious assumptions that discredits the struggle of single mothers.

And finally, how would you like people to think / act differently from hearing your story?

I aspire to influence people to recognise the hardships that single mothers face, deviate from the stereotypes single mothers are forced into and always offer support and kindness wherever and whenever you can. I dream of a world where single mothers like my own are appreciated to the fullest extent and are shown the same amount of love that they show us.

Watch Matilda‘s winning speech: