Martin Whitfield MSP is encouraging primary schools across South Scotland and beyond to participate in VoiceBox 2025 – a national joke-telling competition for primary schools.

Mr Whitfield attended the launch of this year’s competition which took place at Cockenzie Primary School, home of last year’s winner, Gordon Moodie. On the first day of joke-telling, competitions will take place across Scotland as schools select their entries to be put forward for this year’s final, organised by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

VoiceBox is a celebration of the critical role communication plays in children’s development. It showcases the importance of communication skills and speech and language therapy and aims to inspire confidence, creativity, and connection among schoolchildren.

The VoiceBox 2025 final will take place on Thursday, 5 June 2025, with finalists from each of Scotland’s local authorities gathering at the Scottish Parliament, hosted by the Presiding Officer, Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP. The event will once again be compered by journalist and comedian Zara Janjua, ensuring a day filled with laughter and fun.

The winners will receive prizes courtesy of Collins Big Cat, the leading whole-school primary reading programme. All of the finalists will receive £100 worth of books from the competition sponsor. The overall winner will also receive a £500 Collins Big Cat book voucher for their school, ensuring plenty of new reading material for them and their classmates. Second and third place winners will each earn £200 Collins Big Cat book vouchers for their school, and all three winners will be presented with a toy gift card.

Martin Whitfield MSP said: 

“I’m delighted that this year’s VoiceBox joke-telling competition got underway at Cockenzie Primary School, in the South Scotland parliamentary region. The competition is a fantastic opportunity for children to explore the power of communication through fun and humour and I hope schools here will join in this year.”

Glenn Carter, Head of RCSLT Scotland, said:

“VoiceBox is a shining example of how humour and communication can bring people together. By encouraging children to express themselves through jokes, we’re helping to nurture essential communication skills while bringing joy to everyone involved.

“In an era of budget constraints, it’s imperative to recognise that speech and language therapy is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. These services open doors to better education, improved mental health and stronger employment opportunities. It’s our aim to shine a spotlight on the transformative power of speech and language therapy in improving life prospects, while raising a laugh along the way.”

Lizzi Jones, Head of Sales and Marketing Scotland for Harper Collins Publishing, said:

“We are proud to support VoiceBox in its mission to celebrate the power of communication and humour. By encouraging children to share jokes, this initiative nurtures creativity, confidence, and literacy in a fun and engaging way.”

To enter VoiceBox 2025, follow this link. Entry opens on Monday 20 January 2025 at 09:00 and closes on Tuesday 1 April 2025 at 23:59.