A SCARBOROUGH businesswoman has won a place in the national finals of a public speaking competition, the Toastmasters International.

Helen Tait, managing director of Scarborough training company NAPPI and president of York EbOrators, is the second person from the area to represent her division at one of the world’s biggest speech contests.

She said: “Before joining Toastmasters three years ago, I would never have believed that I would be making a speech to 300 people – for fun.”

The UK finals will take place at the Beaumont estate in Old Winson on May 7. The international finals will follow in Las Vegas.