The English Speaking Union is a charity dedicated to improving oracy and public speaking skills. We believe that all young people deserve to have the speaking and listening skills they need to thrive ...
Volunteer Debate Judge
Contact person
Anna Mitchell
#109771
Scan me or visit www.volunteerbrum.org/o/The-English-Speaking-Union/activities/Volunteer-Debate-Judge/109771 to join
Summary
Volunteer as a Debate Competition judge with the English Speaking Union, and help young people develop their public speaking, listening and debating skills.
Detailed description
As a volunteer judge you will sit as a panel of up to 3 judges who oversee a regional round of the UK's longest running inter-schools debating competition. Your role will be to listen, consider and give feedback to participating young people, helping the successful teams to progress through the heats all the way to the Grand Finals in London.
Round 2 begins in mid-January and there will be opportunities in and around Leeds to be a volunteer judge. We have competitions all over England and Wales and so you can volunteer anywhere.
Comprehensive training and ongoing support is provided. We don't require you to be an experienced debater, simply have the willingness to help, encourage and empower young people to find their voices and grow in confidence through debating.
We have heats in your local area but also all over the country if you are interested in volunteering elsewhere.
Your Role as a volunteer:
As a volunteer judge, you will be part of a three-member judging panel. You will watch the competition, take notes and evaluate each performance. Afterwards, you and the other judges will meet to discuss your observations. You will then return to the participants to provide individual feedback to the young people.
Training involved:
We offer a 30–40 minute online training session that you can complete at any time. This is supported by a comprehensive competition handbook. The training covers the structure of the competition, how to judge the young people’s performances and how to offer constructive feedback. It also includes essential safeguarding guidance.
Throughout the training, you will learn key aspects of effective leadership, judging criteria, and what to look for in listening, debating and public speaking skills, as well as form and style. Despite being brief, the training provides everything you need to feel confident and well-prepared in your role.
Support:
Our Supporter Services team are available to help with any questions you may have, including assistance with the training, guidance on organisation, or any concerns about the role.
On the day of the competition, an ESU member of staff will be present to lead the event. They will oversee the running of the competition, support you throughout the day, and ensure you have everything you need and that all instructions are clear.
What we will provide to volunteers
💸 Reimbursement of costs
About The English Speaking Union
The English Speaking Union is a charity dedicated to improving oracy and public speaking skills. We believe that all young people deserve to have the speaking and listening skills they need to thrive. Our mission is to equip young people with the communication skills and cross-cultural understanding they need to thrive and build a more collaborative world.
We work with young people and their teachers to improve oracy skills and cross-cultural understanding, particularly in areas of disadvantage. We run public speaking and debating competitions nationally and internationally, to hone the skills we provide, and offer a variety of cultural exchanges for students, teachers and professionals alike to build relationships and share ideas across communities and countries.
We also run fun, games-led debate and public speaking curricula and workshops which encourage students to discuss a wide range of topical issues with an open mind. We guide schools on using oracy in the classroom and on setting up and maintaining their own debate clubs; and we provide teachers with a range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities in the fields of speech and debate.