Speakers Trust
Speakers Trust is a UK charity that delivers public speaking and communication skills workshops and competitions to young people across 1,000+ state schools, complemented by an online learning platform and adult training programmes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Speakers Trust does
Speakers Trust is a UK-registered charity (charity no. 1139377) and company limited by guarantee (no. 6740655) headquartered at 8-10 Grosvenor Gardens, London, focused on developing the public speaking and communication skills of young people. Founded around 2004 and operating for over 20 years, the charity has trained more than 437,000 young people across 1,000+ state schools nationwide, with approximately 40,000 participants annually and around 25% of participants eligible for free school meals. The organization's core offering is the Speak Out Challenge, a structured regional public speaking competition and workshop programme delivered across ten UK regions including Jack Petchey's, Yorkshire, Sussex, West Midlands, East Midlands, Suffolk, Anglia Ruskin University, North West, North East, and Hampshire & Dorset, alongside My Maiden Speech, Oracy Programmes for Schools, and the Speak Out Academy online platform.
The charity's technology stack is centred on a workshop-based training methodology delivered by a 48-person team, supported by an externally validated impact framework that publishes outcomes data daily via a Zapier-powered RSS feed. Speak Out Academy (speakoutacademy.co.uk) extends delivery into self-paced and blended online learning for individuals and organizations. The flagship commercial relationship is with the Jack Petchey Foundation, which sponsors the largest regional programme variant.
Speakers Trust generates revenue through a mix of fee-based workshop training (open workshops for the general public and in-house workshops at client venues), adult training for professional and personal development clients whose proceeds are reinvested into the charitable mission, and charitable funding/donations supporting the youth programmes. Named client organisations include Barnardo's, Peabody Community Foundation, Beacon High School, and enterprise alumni such as Monzo. The GTM motion is event-driven and field-based: workshops are delivered directly into schools, youth organizations, and community settings, with the regional competition structure serving as both a delivery channel and a marketing engine.
Speakers Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Speakers Trust
- Legal name
- Speakers Trust
- Website
- https://speakerstrust.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Speakers Trust is a UK charity that delivers public speaking and communication skills workshops and competitions to young people across 1,000+ state schools, complemented by an online learning platform and adult training programmes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Speakers Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Speaking and Communication Skills Training
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- After-School Public Speaking & Debate Clubs (EDAMAOAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Speech & Debate Competition Preparation (Events, Extemp, Impromptu) (EDAMAOAF), Speech & Debate Camps, Intensives & Bootcamps (EDAMAOAN), Adult/Public Speaking Clubs & Community Organizations (EDAMAOAI), Private Debate Academies & Speech Coaching Centers (EDAMAOAC)
Keywords
Where Speakers Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Speakers Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Workshop Training Fees: Fees charged for public speaking and communication skills workshops. Open workshops (open to general public) and in-house workshops (at client-specified venues). Cancellation policies apply with 2-week notice requirements for both formats.
- Adult Training: Professional and personal development communication skills training for adults. All proceeds from adult training support the charitable objective of giving voice to the least heard in the community.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Per booking | Open Workshops |
| Other | Per booking | In-House Workshops |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Speakers Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Speakers Trust is a UK charity that delivers public speaking and communication skills workshops to young people, primarily through the Speak Out Challenge competition programme, Oracy Programmes for Schools, and the My Maiden Speech curriculum. Each year it trains over 40,000 young people across more than 1,000 state schools and also offers adult communication skills training, with all adult-training proceeds funding charitable work for disadvantaged youth.
Product overview
Speakers Trust operates a portfolio of communication skills training programmes centred on public speaking and oracy development. The core offerings include the Speak Out Challenge competition programme (offered across multiple UK regions including Jack Petchey's Speak Out Challenge, Yorkshire, Sussex, West Midlands, East Midlands, Suffolk, Anglia Ruskin University, North West, North East, and Hampshire & Dorset variants), My Maiden Speech, and Oracy Programmes for Schools. These are delivered through in-person workshops, remote/online workshops, and the self-paced Speak Out Academy platform. Adult Training programmes use the same workshop format to serve professional and personal development clients, with proceeds reinvested into charitable activities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Speak Out Challenge: Regional public speaking competition for young people in various UK regions including Yorkshire, Sussex, West Midlands, East Midlands, Suffolk, Anglia Ruskin University, North West, North East, and Hampshire & Dorset
- My Maiden Speech
Products and services
- Speak Out Challenge Structured public speaking competition and workshop programme for young people, delivered across multiple UK regions (Jack Petchey's, Yorkshire, Sussex, West Midlands, East Midlands, Suffolk, Anglia Ruskin University, North West, North East, Hampshire & Dorset). Builds communication confidence through assembly finals, semi-finals and regional finals with formal judging criteria.
- My Maiden Speech Public speaking programme that helps young people develop and deliver their first formal speech, building foundational communication skills and confidence. Designed for use in schools and youth settings.
- Oracy Programmes for Schools Structured oracy (speaking and listening) curriculum and workshop programmes delivered in schools to develop young people's verbal communication abilities and broader speaking skills.
- Speak Out Academy Self-paced and blended online learning platform (speakoutacademy.co.uk) offering public speaking, presentation skills and communication training to young people and adults. Can be used independently or built as a bespoke online course for organisations.
- Adult Training Professional and personal development communication skills training for adults at individual and organisational levels, using the same workshop format as the youth programmes. All proceeds support the charity's objective of giving voice to the least heard in the community.
- Young People Training Direct workshop training delivered to young people in schools, youth organisations and community settings, covering public speaking, presentation and communication skills.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% of participants have improved ability to speak in public
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Speakers Trust
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Speakers Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Speakers Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators12 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Speakers Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Toastmasters International: Toastmasters is the global incumbent in adult public speaking and communication training, running club-based programmes across 100+ countries. Comparable in core skill development (public speaking/confidence) but differs in being adult-focused, membership-based, and US-headquartered.
- National Youth Theatre: UK-based charity developing communication and performance skills in young people through workshops and productions. Comparable in audience (UK youth) and skills-development mission, though more focused on theatre than pure public speaking.
- TED-Ed: TED-Ed creates educational public speaking and idea-communication content and programmes for students and educators globally. Comparable in mission of developing young people's communication and presentation skills, but operates as a digital content platform rather than workshop delivery.
Direct peers
- Voice 21: Voice 21 is a UK-based charity focused on oracy education in schools, offering teacher training, curriculum resources, and the Oracy Bench framework. Directly comparable to Speakers Trust in mission (young people's speaking skills), geography (UK), and customer base (state schools).
- Debate Mate: Debate Mate runs debate and public speaking programmes in UK schools, particularly targeting disadvantaged pupils. Closely comparable to Speakers Trust in target audience (UK state school youth), workshop-based delivery, and charity/social enterprise model.
- English-Speaking Union (ESU): The ESU runs public speaking competitions and educational programmes (e.g., the International Public Speaking Competition) in the UK and globally. Comparable as a heritage public-speaking education charity running competition-style programmes for young people.
Emerging players
- PiXL (Partners in Excellence): PiXL is a UK schools' network providing curriculum, leadership, and student-development resources to state secondary schools. Comparable as a UK-focused, school-facing educational provider, though broader in scope than Speakers Trust's oracy specialism.
- The Communication Skills Company: UK-based provider of communication, presentation, and public speaking training for schools, young people, and corporates. Comparable workshop-based delivery model and target audience, but operates as a commercial provider rather than a charity.
Others
- Jack Petchey Foundation: Major UK youth-focused grant-making foundation and Speakers Trust's flagship programme partner. Comparable ecosystem player that funds youth skills/leadership programmes; an enabler of Speakers Trust's scale rather than a competitor.
- Oracy Cambridge (Cambridge University): University of Cambridge research and resource hub for oracy education, providing frameworks (Oracy Skills Framework) and teacher CPD. Comparable in defining the UK oracy movement that drives Speakers Trust's market, though an academic/research body rather than a delivery provider.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Speakers Trust social profiles
Digital presenceSpeakers Trust compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Speakers Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Speakers Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Speakers Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Speakers Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Speakers Trust
What does Speakers Trust do?
Speakers Trust is a UK charity that delivers public speaking and communication skills workshops to young people, primarily through the Speak Out Challenge competition programme, Oracy Programmes for Schools, and the My Maiden Speech curriculum. Each year it trains over 40,000 young people across more than 1,000 state schools and also offers adult communication skills training, with all adult-training proceeds funding charitable work for disadvantaged youth.
Is Speakers Trust a public or private company?
Speakers Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Speakers Trust founded?
Speakers Trust was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Speakers Trust based?
Speakers Trust is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Speakers Trust make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Workshop Training Fees are the primary driver. The others are adult Training.
Who are Speakers Trust's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Toastmasters International, National Youth Theatre and TED-Ed. Direct peers are Voice 21, Debate Mate and English-Speaking Union (ESU). Emerging players are PiXL (Partners in Excellence) and The Communication Skills Company. Others are Jack Petchey Foundation and Oracy Cambridge (Cambridge University).
Does Speakers Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Speakers Trust.
What industry is Speakers Trust in?
Speakers Trust's product category is Public Speaking and Communication Skills Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAOAB, After-School Public Speaking & Debate Clubs, with a secondary code of EDAMAOAF, Speech & Debate Competition Preparation (Events, Extemp, Impromptu). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.