Watch Danny Jones go back to his Bolton school to help encourage other young musicians and artists, through Speakers for Schools

Singer, songwriter, producer and now Voice Kids mentor Danny Jones visited his old school, Thornleigh Salesian College, as a speaker with national charity Speakers for Schools to help encourage the next generation in their ambitions through sharing his experiences so far in his career.

McFly star Danny spoke to 250 students, years 7-9, about his lessons learned on resilience, hard work and finding support in those around him along the way. The talk was followed by a workshop with GCSE Music students, helping them perfect their performance of ‘Forever Young’ by Bob Dylan—the same song he performed in Year 11!

Speakers for Schools was launched in 2011 to help state secondary schools and colleges across the UK access eminent, high-profile figures to help inspire and encourage their students from all backgrounds through free talks such as these. The charity has arranged over 3,600 talks across the UK to date reaching over 400,000 students.

Danny Jones says:

“I am delighted to be working with Speakers for Schools. I think it's imperative that those of us who have had success in the industry give back to young people. One of the most powerful ways we can do this is by directly sharing the lessons we have learned and supporting their ambitions. By sharing how my journey unfolded I hope I can inspire other young people to be bold in pursuing their own path, whether it be in music or otherwise - and not to worry about failure or getting it wrong. That’s part of the journey.”

Andrew Law, Global Chairman and CEO of Caxton Associate and Chairman of Speakers for Schools says:

“It is fantastic to see such a talented, successful figure going home to the North to help encourage other local young people to raise their aspirations and ambitions. As a Mancunian I can say these are the types of conversations that first-hand help a student see their own potentially differently; hearing directly from someone who has made that journey themselves. We are thrilled Danny has teamed up with Speakers for Schools to do this.”