When the organiser for Rotary announced that Farnborough Hill had won the Rotary Area final, held in Guildford, he uttered the phrase, “They’ve done it again!”. Indeed, Farnborough Hill teams have won the local and area finals many times during the last eleven years under the guidance of the charismatic Lori Winch-Johnson. Mrs Winch-Johnson said that this particular competition was a very tough one, “the standard was exceptionally high and it was a nail-biting wait to see who the judges were going to put through to the District Final, so the girls accepted their certificates and trophies with pride and relief”. Lucy Chisnall, 17, from Rowledge, was awarded the Best Chairman prize in addition to the overall team win. Katherine Patel, 17, from Camberley delivered her speech on what makes a good parent, with poise, grace and an excellent display of intellect and Lily Khan, 16, also from Camberley, gave a lucid Vote of Thanks.
Two days later, in Cranleigh, the Intermediate team competed in their Area Final. Again, the standard was amazingly high and it was thrilling to hear that this team had also won. Sangeeta Rijal, 13, from Lightwater, was an excellent speaker on the topic of Alzheimer’s; Beatrice Cerullo, 14, from Farnham, as Chairman also won the Best Chairman trophy, and Carys Dally, 13, from Camberley, was a terrific Vote of Thanks.
The two teams will now go on to compete against six other teams from Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire in March. Lori Winch-Johnson, says, “It is a fabulous achievement to have two teams competing at the next high level in the contest. The students at Farnborough Hill are a delight to help train as they are very amusing, charming and thoughtful; I think that comes through in their conduct with others as well as their fine speeches and delivery. They are very good team players. The school is about educating the whole person and I am always very proud of the students demonstrating their excellent skills and talents at public speaking as it shows how they become confident, articulate young women who are at ease in social situations or in front of an audience; they are tremendous ambassadors”.
To read more about the school visit www.farnborough-hill.org.uk