Thursfields Offers Insight and Expertise to RGS Debating Society

Thursfields are proud to be sponsoring the RGS Worcester Debating Society for a second year.

Solicitor Lauren Hartigan-Pritchard who co-ordinates Thursfields education sector said, ‘Thursfields is delighted to continue its sponsorship of the RGS Worcester Debating Society, allowing us to enrich our existing links with the school.’

After a successful 2014-15 which saw the RGS Worcester debating team crowned Regional Winner for the West in the English Speaking Union Mace Debating competition, the high standard of the team was very clear.

This term, Thursfields has already supported the Debating Society on a number of occasions. During the School Open Day, solicitor Helen Hanson was involved in chairing and judging the Society’s debate on banning supermarket offers on unhealthy foods – as well as keeping our Twitter audience updated on the key moments of the debate (@RGSWDebating). Thursfields is also running a careers workshop in December, reviewing what it means to be a solicitor.

‘We so much enjoy working with Thursfields. It allows us to take part in a wider range of debating events such as the prestigious Durham University Schools competition,’ said Jane Waller, Head of Debating. ‘Moreover, it can also be a fantastic boon for the debating sessions themselves. For example, our next competition debate is looking at the role of prison in a law and order system. As we found last year, it is so useful to have the opportunity to discuss some of the issues around this motion with Thursfields.’

Thursfields has also been involved in supporting some of the RGS debaters through Debate Academy. This is a five day workshop on debating run by the English Speaking Union. This year, RGS Worcester was fortunate enough to have two Lower Sixth debaters, Tom Peake and Joey Dottore, selected for this camp with Thursfields’ sponsorship helping Joey to attend. Moreover, as a result of his training, Joey went on to take part in the World Schools Trials down in London over the Michaelmas half-term.

‘Debate Academy was an intensive but fun regime of oral and academic development, helping to build my confidence. I found that World Schools was a real challenge but it allowed me to test myself against the debating elite.’ said Joey.

With wins in the Turner Cup and the Taylor Trophy already secured in 2015, the RGS Debating Society is now looking forward to the ESU and Warwick University competitions in the next two weeks – and, then, the big three: Oxford, Cambridge and Durham.

For further information on Thursfields’ Education sector please contact Lauren Hartigan-Pritchard on 01905 730450 or lhartiganpritchard@thursfields.co.uk

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