Lloyd’s, the world’s leading specialist insurance market, hosted the final of the annual Tower Hamlets public speaking competition last week where Year 10 students gathered to give their views on the topic ‘social networking sites: harmful or empowering?’.
After making it through the heats, the nine finalists battled it out in front of four judges for the top spot and vouchers for themselves and their school.
Nazia Begum emerged as the winner saying that facebook is the new ‘f word’ parents dread hearing. All finalists will be taken on a tour of the Houses of Parliament.
Rob Lambden, one of the parents supporting their children at the competition run by Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership (THEBP), spoke highly of the event:
“It’s important that children aspire to achieve their potential, which is not always possible within school. This competition broadens the children’s horizons and it’s important that this is able to continue.”
Lloyd’s Community Programme gives students from Tower Hamlets opportunities to enhance their maths and literacy skills. Rabby Fozlay, a previous winner of the competition, is now studying law at Oxford University and attributes some of his success to the competition: 
“I would sincerely like to thank Lloyd's and everyone who has supported me before, during and after the speaking competition. I remember saying then, and I will re-affirm this now, that it has given me an unequivocal head start.”
The purpose of the competition is to enhance pupils' communication skills, self confidence and ability to construct a reasoned argument, and reflects Lloyd’s support for East London through Lloyd’s Community Programme. It was founded by Mildred Gordon, former MP for Tower Hamlets, and has been run by THEBP since 1996.
