Clare Richmond Wins the PSA 2020 Speaker Factor – Emerging Speaker of the Year
Clare Richmond emerged the victor in the Professional Speaking Association’s 2020 “Speaker Factor – Emerging Speaker of the Year” competition with a speech delivered online from her home.
The winner was chosen from amongst all the local winners from the various regions of the Professional Speaking Association across the UK and Ireland.
The contest is run each year for new entrants to the organisation – and is normally conducted live at the venue of the association’s national conference.
But because of Coronavirus, the 2020 conference was conducted online. As a result, all the contestants had to give
their speeches remotely – talking to the cameras and microphones on their computers from their homes.
So Clare Richmond’s winning performance was done sitting in her armchair from her sitting room home in Finsbury Park.
Clare won the contest with a speech based on her experience in setting up a grass roots initiative to regenerate the high street in Crouch End back in 2008.
“This was the first time I’ve entered a speaking competition – and I’m so glad I took up the challenge of taking part in this one this year,” Clare said.
“Winning the competition is a great opportunity to help me inspire others to discover their grassroots potential,” Clare said.
“The message underpinning my speeches on this topic is that communities, of all kinds, have huge hidden potential – which, given the right conditions, we can release.”
As a consultant and speaker, Clare helps leaders and communities to – as she puts it – “achieve far more with very much less”.
Her talks stress the power of small actions to create a big impact.
“At the heart of all my talks is my believe that people are capable of doing far more with much less when given the right conditions,” Clare said.
The National President of the Professional Speaking Association, Steve Bustin – who was one of the judges – said it was a tough job to pick the winner from the 13 finalists who made it to the final round.
But he said Clare Richmond’s speech stood out.
“This was for Clare’s credibility as an expert in her field, her confident and engaging delivery and clear ideas that an audience could think about and act upon,” he said.
Mr Bustin said that as a result of her performance, Clare would get a major speaking slot at next year’s convention of the Professional Speaking Association.
The President of the association’s London Region, Anthony Stears, said “Clare’s online delivery style was superb.”
“She had people in the palm of her hand in seconds.
“Her speech content is relevant to almost everyone right now and is guaranteed to help individuals and teams raise their game.”
