Eloquent Henning earns public speaking semi-finals slot

A Lambeth student is now just one step away from the Grand Final of the UK’s largest youth public speaking event due to take place in the West End next July. 

Fifteen-year-old Henning Morgan, who attends the Dunraven School in Leigham Court Road, Streatham, was crowned winner of the regional final of the Jack Petchey “Speak Out Challenge” which took place at The Elms Academy, Elms Road, Clapham, on February 22. 

More than 30,000 Year 10 students in more than 500 state schools in London and Essex take part in the annual event, hosted by the UK’s leading public speaking and communication charity, Speakers Trust, and funded and supported by the Jack Petchey Foundation. 

Previous winners of the Grand Final have gone on to sell businesses for six figures, act in Hollywood and in critically acclaimed projects, become influencers and public speakers. 

Henning was crowned regional champion, with a powerful speech calling upon his family history of resistance to Nazism to call for refrain from thoughtless accusations and assumptions about individuals’ historical involvement. 

He now proceeds to the online semi-finals with just 37 other regional champions, before the final 15 are selected for the Grand Final, taking place at the Cambridge Theatre, Covent Garden, on July 8. 

“Wow, I can’t believe it, I’m so surprised!” he said.

Clark Lyttle, representing Woodmansterne School, Streatham, was runner-up with a compelling speech entitled “Absence of Light” and third place went to Grace Ghebru from Lilian Baylis Technology School, Kennington, with a speech about the devastating impact of bullying.

Pictured top: Henning with Cllr John-Paul Ennis, the deputy mayor of Lambeth (Picture: Stephen Pover)