An award ceremony can be a glittering glamorous occasion such as the Oscars an intellectual affair such as the Booker Prize or a noisy school prize-giving.
The audiences may be different but the palpable sense of anticipation is always the same. There is speculation and gossip and maybe even some bets as to who will win. In the case of the school prizes at least the winner of the 100 metre race is known if not that of the student of the year.
Such awards encourage hard work and motivation in the individual fields. They are
about succeeding in a competitive environment. They are about meeting a challenge, overcoming problems and achieving the pinnacle of success. They are about nerves, surprises and speeches. Those award winning speeches thank those who helped the winner achieve his or her prize and, almost without exception, are boring, repetitive or simply cringe making.
Being acknowledged by ones’ peers is the ultimate accolade. The glitz, the glamour and the TV cameras are just window dressing.

Check out our sample speeches

Most of us were told that it impolite to discuss religion, politics or money at the dinner table. Yet whether we like it or not money, or the lack of it, is the hot subject for discussion these days. That’s understandable because we are living through a recession. People are losing their homes, businesses are going to the wall and budgeting is something we will all have to do if we are to survive the current crisis.
We need to think of long term solutions rather than quick fixes. Students should learn not earn because in doing so they improve their job prospects by getting better results. So it will pay them in the long term to be better educated. That is not to say that we should not tighten our belts. It’s a challenge to see whether we can cut the electricity bill or
eat better for less. Certainly it would do most of us no harm to leave the car at home and take public transport thus saving the environment and our pockets as well. Most of us have skills or talents we could barter for services we need instead of using those expensive credit cards. It will pay us all to be better informed about money matters or to consult the experts who can help us manage our money. Things are bad at the moment but if you try there are lots of ways you can dig yourself out of debt.

Check out our sample speeches