Latest news with #CollinsBigCat
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
West Lothian schoolboy joins big bunch of jokers at the Scottish Parliament
P3 pupil John McGlynn from Livingston left MSPs in fits of laughter A Livingston schoolboy was one of 32 pupils from across the country who left MSPs chortling after cracking jokes at the Scottish Parliament. John McGlynn, a P3 pupil at St John Ogilvie RC Primary School, left them in fits of laughter as he represented West Lothian at the VoiceBox grand final. The national joke-telling competition is organised by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), with a regional winner representing each local authority in the final. Every finalist performed their joke live before an audience of MSPs, families, and supporters. The final followed a nationwide call for entries that saw thousands of jokes submitted by pupils from hundreds of primary schools. Ezra Pasifull, who's in P3 at Oakbank Primary School in Perth, was crowned Scotland's funniest young comedian after leaving MSPs in stitches. The winning joke, delivered with confidence and impeccable timing, was: 'I bought 10 bees but the beekeeper gave me 11 bees. I asked him why there is an extra bee and he said, because that one's a 'Free Bee!' The final was hosted by the Presiding Officer, Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, and compered by BBC journalist and comedian Zara Janjua, who returned for her second year with the competition. Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament said: 'It was a pleasure to welcome so many young people from across Scotland to their Parliament. Following a strong nation-wide competition, I want to congratulate all our finalists. The effort, imagination and thought that went into their contributions was extremely impressive. I'm pleased that once again the Parliament was able to support such a worthwhile competition.' VoiceBox was created by the RCSLT to spotlight the importance of early speech, language and communication development and the power of speech and language therapy. While rooted in fun, the competition's purpose is to raise awareness of the vital role communication plays in a child's confidence, learning, and life outcomes. Glenn Carter, Head of RCSLT Scotland, said: 'While the event is full of joy and laughter, its purpose is serious. Speech, language and communication are essential skills that underpin a child's learning, relationships, and long-term opportunities. VoiceBox shines a light on this by showing just what children can achieve when they're supported to express themselves.' The 2025 final marks the second year VoiceBox has been held at the Scottish Parliament, following its January launch on Blue Monday, a date chosen to brighten the calendar and kick-off joke competitions in classrooms nationwide. Each of the 32 finalists received £100 worth of books from sponsors Collins Big Cat, the UK's leading whole-school primary reading programme. The overall winner's school received £500 worth of Collins Big Cat books, while the runner-up, Freya McVie Branley from St Winning's Primary School, Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, and third-place winner, Craig Speirs from Shortlees Primary, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, were awarded £200 worth of books for their schools. In addition, the top three finalists received toy gift cards – £100 for the winner, £75 for second place, and £50 for third place.
Daily Record
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Young Stirling joker secures ticket to Holyrood after quip earns spot in final
His top gag earned him a spot in the national competition where a pupil from each of the 32 council areas will compete for the crown. A Stirling primary school pupil has turned a good gag into a golden ticket for Holyrood after being named a finalist in a national joke-telling competition. Ru McCallum, a Primary One pupil at Allan's Primary School, has been crowned the winner of Stirling's regional heat in the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' (RCSLT) VoiceBox competition – a national joke-telling contest celebrating the power of communication. With a joke that had judges in stitches, Ru now heads to the Grand Final at the Scottish Parliament on June 5, where 32 of Scotland's funniest primary school pupils – one from each local authority – will compete for the title of VoiceBox Champion 2025. Ru's joke which earned a place in the final, was: 'Why did the banana go to the doctor? Because he wasn't peeling very well!' The event will be hosted by Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, 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. Since then, schools across Scotland have been submitting their funniest entries in a joyful celebration of confidence, creativity and communication. Ru has already secured £100 worth of Collins Big Cat books for their school, and is also now in the running for the top prizes: £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 the competition is about more than making people laugh, explaining: 'We're incredibly proud of all the regional winners who've earned a place in the national final. '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. '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.'
Glasgow Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow pupil reaches final of national joke contest
Hedi Hemin, a primary four pupil at Knightswood Primary School, was crowned the winner of Glasgow City's regional heat in the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' (RCSLT) VoiceBox competition. The national contest is designed to celebrate the power of communication through humour. Read more: Glasgow ranked as second funniest city in UK Hedi's winning joke has earned them a spot in the grand final at the Scottish Parliament on June 5, where 32 of Scotland's funniest primary school pupils will compete for the title of VoiceBox Champion 2025. The event is set to be hosted by the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, with BBC journalist and stand-up comedian, Zara Janjua, as compère. VoiceBox, now in its second year, launched on Blue Monday, the so-called "saddest day of the year", bringing a different energy to the day. Since then, schools across Scotland have been submitting their funniest entries in a testament to confidence, creativity, and communication. Read more: Calling all Glaswegians — Lidl wants your voice at its self-checkouts Hedi has already secured £100 worth of Collins Big Cat books for their school and is now in the running for the top prizes, which include £500 of books for the winning school, £200 of books for second and third place, and 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. "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. "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, said: "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."
Daily Record
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Ayrshire pupils making laughs on way to national joke telling competition final
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. 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. 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!' 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. 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. '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. '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.'
Daily Record
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Schoolboy's James Bond 'fart' joke leaves judges shaken and stirred in national competition
Harry McElhiney, a P7 youngster at Halfmerke Primary, will represent South Lanarkshire at the finals in Holyrood. An East Kilbride school pupil has turned a good gag into a golden ticket for Holyrood after being named a finalist in a national joke-telling competition. Harry McElhiney, a P7 youngster at Halfmerke Primary, has been crowned the winner of South Lanarkshire's regional heat in the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' (RCSLT) VoiceBox competition – a national joke-telling contest celebrating the power of communication. With a joke that had judges in stitches, Harry now heads to the grand final at the Scottish Parliament on June 5, where 32 of Scotland's funniest primary school pupils – one from each local authority – will compete for the title of VoiceBox Champion 2025. Harry's joke which earned a place in the final, was: 'Why does James Bond not fart in bed? Because it would blow his cover.' The event will be hosted by the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, 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. Since then, schools across Scotland have been submitting their funniest entries in a joyful celebration of confidence, creativity and communication. Harry has already secured £100 worth of Collins Big Cat books for their school, and is in the running for the top prizes: ■ £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. '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. '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.'
