Ayrshire pupils making laughs on way to national joke telling competition final

Daily Record

08-05-2025

Ayrshire pupils have been named among the finalists by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
Three Ayrshire pupils have named as finalists in a national joke telling competition.
Saffron Barrett of Glenburn Primary in Prestwick, Freya McVie Branley of St Winning's Primary in Kilwinning and Craig Speirs of Shortlees Primary in Kilmarnock won their regional heats in the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' (RCSLT) VoiceBox competition to reach the final.
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With a joke that had judges in stitches, P1 Saffron, P7 Freya and P5 Craig now heads to the grand final at the Scottish Parliament on June 5.
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In total, 32 of Scotland's funniest primary school pupils – one from each local authority – will compete for the title of VoiceBox Champion 2025.
Freya's joke which earned her a place in the final was: 'I walked into Primark, there was a bra on the floor. I stepped on it and fell over. It was a boobie trap.'
Saffron's joke was: 'There are 100 cows in the field – which one is going on holiday? The one with the wee calf.'
Craig's joke was: 'What did a pig say on a hot day? I'm bacon!'
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The event will be hosted by Alison Johnstone, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, with Zara Janjua, BBC journalist and stand-up comedian, taking the mic as compère.
Now in its second year, VoiceBox launched on Blue Monday – the so-called "saddest day of the year" – with a very different energy, thanks to last year's winners from Cockenzie Primary in East Lothian.
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Schools across Scotland have been submitting their funniest entries in a joyful celebration of confidence, creativity and communication.
Each pupil has already secured £100 worth of Collins Big Cat books for their school, and is in the running for the top prizes which include £500 of books for the winning school, £200 of books for second and third place plus, a £100 toy gift card for the top three finalists
Glenn Carter, head of RCSLT Scotland, said: 'We're incredibly proud of all the regional winners who've earned a place in the national final.
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'VoiceBox is about much more than making people laugh. It's about highlighting the vital role that communication plays in every part of a child's life.
'Speech, language and communication, skills are the foundation for learning, social connection, mental wellbeing and future employment. Yet too many children still struggle without the support they need, often going unnoticed.
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'Competitions like VoiceBox show just how powerful a child's voice can be when given a platform and why it's so important that we continue to invest in speech and language therapy to support children's communication.
'These children aren't just telling jokes. They're showing us how the ability to communicate can positively impact confidence, creativity and connection.'
Lizzi Jones, head of sales and marketing for HarperCollins Scotland, added: 'Supporting VoiceBox allows us to champion children's literacy and communication, all through the simple joy of telling a joke. We can't wait to hear all the jokes at Holyrood.'