Lily was up against some very impressive competition in Abby Durbin from Toormina High, Kaitlyn Forrester from the Nambucca Valley Christian School and Reagan Welsh from Macksville High School.

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Reagan Welsh was presented the Regional Youth of the Year Public Speaking Award at the event.

All of these young ladies competed at zone level to get the Regional Final.

Lily Kelsey will now go on to represent the region at the District Lions Youth of the Year Final in April, where she will be competing to go onto the State Final.

The Lions Youth of the Year Program was established over 50 years ago with the objective of developing and honing participants’ skills associated with interview techniques, personal interaction, networking, public speaking and thinking on your feet.

The program has a proven history of encouraging and fostering leadership skills in Australian students in their final years in high school.

At the Regional Final the young ladies had public speaking tasks that were delivered in front of family, friends and the esteemed judging panel.

Public speaking is not the only criteria that determines placings in this event.

Initiatives at school, activities conducted inside and outside of school, academic achievements, general knowledge and presentation during interviews all form part of the overall point score.

Firstly, the ladies were given two impromptu speaking questions to respond to, before they delivered a five minute prepared speech.

They all spoke well, were able to think on their feet and gave the judging panel a difficult task.

“The impromptu speaking part of the competition in particular has really helped me be able to think on my feet and collate my ideas to deliver them the best I can which I know is going to help me in the future,” Regional Youth of the Year winner Lily Kelsey told News Of The Area.

One of the event judges was Mr Brandon Sparke, a Coffs Harbour-based lawyer with a considerable academic background.

Mr Sparke was a participant in the Lions Youth of the Year program when he was a student at Toormina High.

Also on the judging panel was Mrs Sue Saunders, who has an extensive background as a specialist nurse and in nursing education.

Mrs Saunders is currently the Nurse Unit Manager of the Rehabilitation and Palliative Care Unit at the Bellinger River District Hospital.

The third judge on the panel was Mr Jeremy Nash, a man with international business credentials and a background in teaching secondary schools students.

Mr Nash is now retired but maintains an interest in teaching and is a volunteer with Coffs Coast Legacy.

By Mick BIRTLES