Lancaster hosts Spring Programme

Our congratulations go to Fiona Asokacitta of the The British Academy on winning the title England and Wales Young Thinker of the Year. The adjudicator was impressed by her ‘superbly written paper – no words were wasted and pertinent statistics were used to back up her points. Fiona argued that addiction should be considered a public health issue rather than one of criminal justice, in a paper of great compassion and humanity… she was an exceptional presenter, with great style and presence, excellent eye contact and emphasis’.

The runner-up award went to Georgie Smith of the Trade Remedies Authority for a spirited paper examining the state of what were once cornerstones of towns: high streets. Alfie Denness, also of The British Academy, was highly commended for a well-written and expressive argument paper on the role of the monarchy in society. Veronika Riepina of the British Red Cross was commended for her heartfelt paper on life in Ukraine and the human ability to adapt to challenging and dangerous environments.

The winning group in the Group Challenge were Group G (Rahwa Arefeaine, Home Office; Alfie Denness, The British Academy; Veronika Riepina, British Red Cross; Georgie Smith, Trade Remedies Authority). Their presentation on the concept of ‘freedom’ was well-researched, with frantic but funny roleplay and excellent team work.

A special award for Best 90-Second Challenge went to Alice Smith of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, who asked: Should ‘differently abled’ be banned from the English language? She presented a perfectly constructed, thoughtful piece of oratory, which connected the personal to the bigger framework in which our preconceptions and biases sit.