Yesterday (29 October) three young people living with epilepsy participated in a once in a lifetime event at the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh organised by Epilepsy Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal’s Office as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations of Epilepsy Scotland.
Dylan Graham from Stirling, Alexander Sieland from Edinburgh and a young person from Fife, presented their cases on subjects ranging from social media and fairness of education to life saving skills.
Their case also needed to showcase one of the central themes of the competition- equality, diversity and inclusion.
The three young people, aged between 15 and 16, have been working hard over the summer months with support from Epilepsy Scotland staff to ensure they could provide their best performance.
They had received bespoke training and practised presenting their case for several months.
All three were proudly supported by their families and are aware that they were the first young people supported by Epilepsy Scotland to compete at this prestigious venue.
Esteemed panel of judges
Whilst there was some trepidation initially, the young people passionately made their cases, arguing their points with precision like the lawyers who usually grace these halls.
They had a maximum of 6 minutes to put their best case forward to an esteemed panel of judges including the Solicitor General for Scotland, Ruth Charteris KC; one of the most respected Consultant Paediatric Neurologists in the UK, Professor Sameer Zuberi; and Epilepsy Scotland’s CEO, Lesslie Young OBE- who all had the very difficult task of adjudicating for the day based on the evidence presented.
The judges were incredibly impressed with all participants and all agreed that the true winner of the day was the confidence, pride and ability gained by the participants themselves.
Epilepsy Scotland CEO, Lesslie Young OBE, said: “Public Speaking is an important skill and an essential part of many jobs. However, for many young people the idea of speaking in public is daunting and something not everyone has the opportunity to practice.
This is especially so for young people with epilepsy, as anxiety and stress can be a trigger for seizures. This competition offers a unique opportunity in an equally unique setting for young people with epilepsy to challenge themselves and prove once again young people with epilepsy have much to offer our society, despite the many challenges they may face daily.”
The Solicitor General for Scotland, Ruth Charteris KC, said: “It was an honour to be invited to judge the extraordinary talent of the young speakers at this event.
They each showed tremendous eloquence and determination to demonstrate the power of their voices. I am inspired by the confidence and resilience shown by every one of them.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is delighted to be part of the celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of Epilepsy Scotland.
I can think of no more satisfying a way to mark this significant milestone than this event which highlights the important partnership between COPFS and Epilepsy Scotland.”
