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Daily Record
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Stirling pupil Ru gives MSPs at Holyrood a welcome laugh
The Allan's Primary youngster was one of just 32 finalists from thousands who entered the national joke telling competition, with the final being held at the Scottish Parliament. A P1 pupil from Allan's Primary School in Stirling had MSPs in fits of laughter recently at the VoiceBox grand final – a national joke-telling competition. Ru McCallum had taken part in the contest, organised by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT). The final, which took place at Holyrood, featured 32 pupils from across Scotland, with a regional winner representing each local authority. Every finalist performed their joke live before an audience of MSPs, families, and supporters. The final followed a nationwide call for entries that saw thousands of jokes submitted by pupils from hundreds of primary schools. Ru's joke, which earned a place in the final, was: 'Why did the banana go to the doctor? Because he wasn't peeling very well!' VoiceBox was created by the RCSLT to spotlight the importance of early speech, language and communication development and the power of speech and language therapy. While rooted in fun, the competition's purpose is to raise awareness of the vital role communication plays in a child's confidence, learning, and life outcomes. Ezra Pasifull, of P3 at Oakbank Primary School in Perth and Kinross, was crowned Scotland's funniest young comedian after leaving MSPs in stitches. The winning joke, delivered 'with confidence and impeccable timing', was: 'I bought 10 bees but the beekeeper gave me 11 bees. I asked him why there is an extra bee and he said, because that one's a 'Free Bee!'.' Glenn Carter, Head of RCSLT Scotland, said: 'While the event is full of joy and laughter, its purpose is serious. Speech, language and communication are essential skills that underpin a child's learning, relationships, and long-term opportunities. VoiceBox shines a light on this by showing just what children can achieve when they're supported to express themselves.' The final was hosted by the Presiding Officer, Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, and compered by BBC journalist and comedian Zara Janjua, who returned for her second year with the competition. Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: 'It was a pleasure to welcome so many young people from across Scotland to their Parliament. Following a strong nation-wide competition, I want to congratulate all our finalists. The effort, imagination and thought that went into their contributions was extremely impressive. I'm pleased that once again the Parliament was able to support such a worthwhile competition.' The 2025 final marks the second year VoiceBox has been held at the Scottish Parliament, following its January launch on Blue Monday, a date chosen to brighten the calendar and kick-off joke competitions in classrooms nationwide. Each of the 32 finalists received £100 worth of books from sponsors Collins Big Cat, the UK's leading whole-school primary reading programme. The overall winner's school received £500 worth of Collins Big Cat books, while the runner-up, Freya McVie Branley from St Winning's Primary School in North Ayrshire, and third-place winner, Craig Speirs from Shortlees Primary School in East Ayrshire, were awarded £200 worth of books for their schools. In addition, the top three finalists received toy gift cards – £100 for the winner, £75 for second place, and £50 for third place.
Daily Record
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
West Lothian primary school pupil named as finalist in national joke competition
John McGlynn, a primary three pupil at St John Ogilvie Primary School, has been crowned the winner of West Lothian's regional heat in the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' (RCSLT) VoiceBox competition A West Lothian primary school pupil has turned a good gag into a golden ticket for Holyrood after being named a finalist in a national joke-telling competition. John McGlynn, a primary three pupil at St John Ogilvie RC Primary School, has been crowned the winner of West Lothian's regional heat in the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' (RCSLT) VoiceBox competition – a national joke-telling contest celebrating the power of communication. With a joke that had judges in stitches, John now heads to the Grand Final at the Scottish Parliament on June 5th, where 32 of Scotland's funniest primary school pupils – one from each local authority – will compete for the title of VoiceBox Champion 2025. John's joke which earned a place in the final, was: 'Why does Scottish Mickey Moose not go in his airplane anymore? Because it Disney land! The event will be hosted by Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, with Zara Janjua, BBC journalist and stand-up comedian, taking the mic as compère. Now in its second year, VoiceBox launched on Blue Monday – the so-called 'saddest day of the year' – with a very different energy, thanks to last year's winners from Cockenzie Primary in East Lothian. Since then, schools across Scotland have been submitting their funniest entries in a joyful celebration of confidence, creativity and communication. John has already secured £100 worth of Collins Big Cat books for their school, and is in the running for other prizes including £500 of books for the winning school; £200 of books for second and third place plus, a £100 toy gift card for the top three finalists. Glenn Carter, Head of RCSLT Scotland, said: 'We're incredibly proud of all the regional winners who've earned a place in the national final. VoiceBox is about much more than making people laugh. 'It's about highlighting the vital role that communication plays in every part of a child's life. Speech, language and communication, skills are the foundation for learning, social connection, mental wellbeing and future employment. 'Yet too many children still struggle without the support they need, often going unnoticed. 'Competitions like VoiceBox show just how powerful a child's voice can be when given a platform and why it's so important that we continue to invest in speech and language therapy to support children's communication. 'These children aren't just telling jokes. They're showing us how the ability to communicate can positively impact confidence, creativity and connection.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lack of speech therapists as demand for help grows
"My speech had gone really. I think my understanding was there, but the speech wasn't right at all." This is how Ceri Maher, from Cardiff, described what she faced after having a stroke. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) has called for more professionals after demand for services rose by more than 30% among children, adults and people with a disability. A Welsh government spokesperson said more training was taking place and waiting times were going down. 'Raising a child with speech issues was isolating' Child speech delays increase following lockdowns It is 18 months since Mrs Maher had her stroke. She is now back home in Cardiff, and looking forward to enjoying the garden again once winter is over. As part of her recovery programme, speech and language therapists helped Mrs Maher to communicate again. She said: "My face was lopsided. I was just in a bit of a blur really. "That's the nearest thing I can describe it as, it was a blur." The RCSLT said as well as people such as Mrs Maher, there needs to be a particular focus on those in the youth justice system. It has released a report, outlining how demand has increased since 2019. For children and young people, it has risen by 31%, for adults by 37%, and for those with a learning disability by 43%. "Youth justice is definitely an area where we'd like to see more speech and language therapy," said Philippa Cotterill, head of the college's Wales office. "Mental health services is another area." Ms Cotterill said neonatal services were also able to provide support for babies and families on eating, drinking and swallowing, but also early communication skills that need to be developed in children if they are premature, or if they have difficulties. At the moment, people who want to become therapists can only train in Wales at either Wrexham University or Cardiff Metropolitan University. But there are not enough people currently graduating to meet the increased demand for their skills. Trainers such as Lauren Salisbury, a senior lecturer at Wrexham University, have been trying to address that. "We would benefit from postgraduate options, and possibly study-while-you-earn options as well, diversifying the career routes and the training routes, so that we can widen our student demographic and allow more opportunities for people to train as a speech and language therapist," she said. But Philippa Cotterill believes a more focused approach is needed. She added: "What we're calling on is for there to be sustained funding for services for speech and language therapy. "We know there's many places where there's grant funding and other sources of funding but which are not permanent, and we need those sustainable services." A Welsh government spokesperson said it was committed to reducing waiting times and strengthening and retaining the workforce. "We recognise that demand is high," they added. "Despite this, the total waits for children and adults over the 14-week target has shown nearly a 59% improvement over the last 12 months. "There has also been an improvement of 46% in children's waits against the stretched target of eight weeks. "Training places for speech and language therapists in Wales have increased by 12.2% in the last three years." 'Taking anti-depressants helped me flourish' I love dad to bits - but being his carer has broken me Pre-school children's screen time at 'crisis point'
