VoiceBox Awards
VoiceBox awards
VoiceBox is a national joke telling competition for primary school children developed by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), designed to raise awareness of the fun and importance of communication. The competition is kindly supported by Collins Big Cat. It offers schools across Scotland a light-hearted and inclusive way for pupils to develop their communication skills and build their confidence and self-esteem.
VoiceBox 2026
An update on VoiceBox 2026…
Sadly, we won’t be running the VoiceBox Competition this year. This wasn’t an easy decision – but there is a good reason.
Why?
With the upcoming Scottish election we’re focusing our energy on making a big impact for children and young people across Scotland.
What we’re doing instead
While we won’t be raising awareness through VoiceBox this year, we will be asking the next Scottish Government to support children’s voices and make a transformational change.
To do this, we’ve developed our manifesto asks, setting out the changes we want to see.
This is about turning awareness into action.
One of our key asks
We’re calling for the next Scottish Government to ensure a speech & language therapist is embedded in every school and nursery in Scotland.
Delivering speech, language and communication support to children where they are, as early as possible, will lead to better wellbeing, learning and participation in education.
Help us make change
Learn more about our manifesto asks and how you can show your support.
Use your voice to make a real difference for children and young people in Scotland.
This isn’t goodbye.
VoiceBox will be back. Stay tuned for 2027!
Contact us
For any competition related enquiries, please email us at voicebox@rcslt.org.
VoiceBox 2025
VoiceBox 2025 was a laugh-out-loud celebration of children’s voices from across Scotland! Thousands of children got involved in schools nationwide, with 32 finalists from every local authority coming together for an unforgettable National Final at the Scottish Parliament on 5 June.
We were delighted to celebrate our top three winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd place), who each received individual prizes of up to £100, alongside up to £500 worth of books for their school. Every finalist also went home with a goodie bag packed with treats!
The day was filled with laughter and creativity, highlighting the importance of communication and the vital role speech and language therapists play in supporting children’s lives and outcomes.
Comedian Zara Janjua returned for another year as our brilliant host, keeping the laughs coming and the energy high throughout the day.
We were also delighted to welcome back magician, Tricky Ricky, whose brilliant magic show had finalists laughing, relaxed and ready to impress the judges with their jokes – with a few magic tricks thrown in during the judging break to keep spirits high!
2025 Winners
1st place – Ezra – Oakbank Primary School, Perth & Kinross
“I bought 10 bees, but there were 11 bees. I asked the beekeeper ‘why is there an extra bee?’ and he said, ‘because that one’s a ‘Freebie!’”
1st place – Freya – St Winnings Primary, North Ayrshire
“I walked into Primark, and there was a bra on the floor… I slipped on it and fell over…
It was a boobie trap!”
3rd place – Craig – Shortlees Primary School, East Ayrshire
“What does a pig say on a hot day?
I’m bacon!”
For more details and event highlights, check out our Instagram page: RCSLT VoiceBox Instagram
VoiceBox 2024
VoiceBox 2024 was a huge success! 1000’s of children participated in schools across Scotland, and we had 28 finalists from 26 local authorities who gathered at the Scottish Parliament on 6 June for the National Final.
The event was filled with laughter and served as a powerful way to raise awareness about the crucial role of communication and the impactful work of speech and language therapists in improving lives and outcomes.
At the 2024 final, we celebrated four winners (1st, 2nd, and two tied for 3rd place). Each winner received individual prizes of up to £100, as well as up to £500 of books for their school. Every participant left with a goodie bag packed with treats!
The Presiding Officer sponsored the event and even asked, “Can we do this every week?”
Comedian, Zara Janjua expertly compered the event bringing fun and humour to the day
Magician, Tricky Ricky put on a great show for the finalists, getting them in good spirits to wow the judges with their jokes!
2024 Winners
1st place – Gordon – Cockenzie Primary School, East Lothian
“Why did the donkey go to the shops?
Because he had Hee Haw in the hoose!”
2nd place: Zara – Newport Primary School, Fife
“Why doesn’t Elsa from Frozen get a balloon?
She’ll let it go! She’ll let it go!”
Joint 3rd place: Ismail – Newarthill Primary School, North Lanarkshire
“My sister asked me to pass her lipstick, but I accidentally gave her glue stick… she still isn’t talking to me!”
Joint 3rd place: Gregor – Lincluden Primary school, Dumfries & Galloway
“Why did the banana go to the doctor?
Because he wasn’t ‘peeling’ well!”
For more details and event highlights, check out the following articles and images:
Privacy statement
Introduction
This page is our Privacy Notice for the VoiceBox Scotland competition. It has been written specifically to inform parents and guardians why the collection of the personal data of their child is necessary as part of their competition entry and how we plan to use, store and protect your child’s data once we have it.
Who we are
We’re the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), the professional body for speech and language therapists in the UK. Our mission is to enable better lives for children and adults with communication needs.
Please visit our main website for further information about us and the work we do.
What is personal data?
Personal data is any information that could be used to identify a living person. At its simplest this could be just a name and address; or, it could include a telephone number, email address, a picture or recording.
Why do you need my child’s personal data?
Your child’s personal data will only be used for their entry to the competition. As we only allow one entry per child, this ensures that we can keep track of everyone who has entered, then administer and judge the competition fairly.
Can you use personal data for anything?
No. We will only use your child’s personal data for the reasons we have mentioned above and only for the duration of the competition entry process. We never pass this data to third parties or use it for reasons we have not told you about.
Can anyone else see my personal data?
The only people who will have access to your child’s personal data are the small group of RCSLT staff based in our Scotland Office. If you would like to speak to the team, please contact us. The judging panel will be shown entry videos or audio submissions during a dedicated meeting but will not be given copies of your child’s data.
Do you keep my personal data forever?
We only keep your personal data for as long as we need it to run the competition. Unsuccessful applications will be permanently deleted after the competition shortlisting has been completed. Applications of entrants who are shortlisted for the final will be kept until the event has taken place, after which these will be deleted too.
Do I have a say in what happens to my child’s personal data?
Yes, you do. Everyone has rights in relation to their personal data can be used. This includes the right to withdraw consent at any time.
The Information Commissioners Office provides summary of these individual rights and how they can be enacted. We also provide further information and contact details in our main Privacy Notice should you wish to enact any of these rights or withdraw consent.
Who makes sure you follow all the rules?
All of our staff receive training on data protection and the RCSLT also has an appointed Data Protection Officer, to ensure that our staff do everything necessary to keep your data safe. You are welcome to contact us if you would like to speak to us about any of the information in this notice.
If you are unhappy with the information we have provided, you may contact the body who is responsible for overseeing data protection in the UK, the Information Commissioners Office.
