A WISECRACKING nine-year-old had the audience in stitches at the final of a joke-telling competition for schools in England and Scotland.
Grace Pallett from Rugby was one of just 18 finalists of the Voice Box competition at Portcullis House in Westminster – beating over 5,000 entrants.
Barby C E Primary School pupil Grace delighted the packed audience of politicians, parents and children with her joke: “I just realised I haven’t done the Hokey Cokey for a long time – I think I’ve just forgotten what it’s all about.”
Grace was presented with a Voice Box certificate and goodie bag for making it through to the final.
Asked what she would like to be when she grows up, Grace said: “I want to be an author and an illustrator.”
Voice Box is an annual competition organised by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and partnered by National Association of Head Teachers. It aims to remind people that there are children in every classroom who need support to help them speak and understand what is being said to them.
Rugby MP Mark Pawsey, who attended the final, said: “I am delighted to support Grace Pallett at Voice Box. It has shown me how critical communication skills are in determining a child’s life chances.
“As a politician, speaking and listening is a vital part of my life and I really value the work done by teachers and speech and language therapists to enable others, including children, to communicate more easily.”
