Monday was a spectacular day at Debate Mate, with not one, but two incredible events.
In the morning we had the pleasure of hosting Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, and Bridget Philipson, Shadow Education Secretary, at Sydney Russell in Dagenham, a school on the Debate Mate Core programme.
We were able to showcase the invaluable work we are doing in many schools across the country. The students dazzled everyone with their considered #communication, ability to #listen and #empathise and, above all, their core #confidence that will serve them well into the future as they become the #change-makers and #leaders of tomorrow.
In the evening, we travelled to Convene where we hosted our very own debate with the motion ‘This House believes that the best way to change the world is through politics’, chaired brilliantly by Ayesha Hazarika and Debate Mate’s Esther Mark.
On the proposition side we heard a range of well developed arguments made by Holly Agbukor, Alastair Campbell and Rushma Khan. They were opposed by Christina Adane, Lewis Iwu and Gary Neville who put forward compelling arguments and ultimately won the debate.
All of the debaters impressed the audience with their thought-provoking and engaging arguments – skills that are learned through the art of debate.
The evening was an overwhelming success, showcasing the essence of Debate Mate: #community, #intelligence and #fun.
We would like to thank Alastair, Gary and Ayesha for their support and for charming the audience with their passion, wit and intelligence.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our momentous day. We are just getting started!