​Young people from across Bath will be given the chance to have their voices heard during the annual Youth Speaks competition next week.

The contest, which will be held at the City of Bath College, will see students from the area give their views on the issues that matter to them.

It is the senior round of the competition, which is organised by Rotary International, and the winners will make it through to the regional heats, before battling it out for a place in the national final.

Youth Speaks is open to young people aged 11 to 18 and is designed to encourage them to develop their speaking and presentation skills.

The college’s deputy head of health, humanities and science Nigel Walmsley said he was expecting a high standard from the competitors.

He said: “The Rotary Speaks competition goes from strength to strength each year and is a highly regarded and hard-fought competition.

“The quality of the speakers is fantastic and you can’t help but be impressed by the talent that the young people demonstrate.

“Our team won the Bath Shield last year, so I’m delighted that City of Bath College has been selected to host this important stage of the competition and look forward to hearing what Bath’s young people have to say.”

Peter Edwards, the Rotary District Youth Speaks co-ordinator, said the Bath round always proved to be an exciting contest.

He said: “We are delighted that the City of Bath College is hosting the two senior rounds of the Rotary Youth Speaks Competition.

“Thousands of young people across the UK and Ireland are involved in the competition each year and the standards continue to rise.

“Bath schools have always had a strong entry and this year we have a record 12 senior teams competing in the first round.”

The competition will take place at the college next Tuesday and Thursday evenings.