Word on Wearside

Rising influencer Rory Gissing has proven that fitness can positively affect a person's mental health. However, if it's not kept at a steady balance, it can also cause a person to spiral, with calorie obsessions and body dysmorphia.Today on Word on Wearside, join Tyler, Luke, and Scarlett will be discussing the fine balance of improving your physical fitness, whilst also safeguarding your mental health. How do we stop ourselves going from one extreme to another?The team behind this episode:Luke CarrTyler ElleanorScarlett GowansWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Over the last few months, we have seen footballers on social media sharing about their mental health; from Man City's Kyle Walker opening up on Twitter (now X), to Kevin Scott, as announced by Knotts County, of his struggles with mental health.On today's episode of Word on Wearside, Cam meets ex-professional footballer JJ O'Donnell, on the struggles players face in the game today; how did his physical injury affect his mental health? How much pressure does social media put on footballers' wellbeing? And how do clubs support their players who are battling mental health related challenges?The team behind this episode:Cam HoughtonWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Please be aware that this episode contains frequent reference to abuse, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, rape, and murder. Listener discretion is advised, and listeners who are particularly affected by these topics are advised to take precaution.Eric and Lyle Menendez were just two young men aged 18 and 21, who killed their parents in 1989, following years of abuse. Rubie McKeever-Smith chats with Dan Taylor, Academic Tutor in the School of Psychology at the University of Sunderland to decide; are the Menendez brothers monsters or villains?The team behind this episode:Rubie McKeever-SmithWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Three Sunderland-based business owners break down what different generations mean to them - you'll hear from Jonathan Pickup of Jonathan Pickup Hair, Mandy Brown of Harrison & Brown Furniture, and Neil of Flowers by Jennifer.The team behind this episode:Simon ForsterWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland.

Joe and Rob discuss the importance of homegrown talent to Sunderland and the wider area; why should clubs prioritise training their own academy players from the ground up, rather than rely on transfer purchases, and who are some of the most inspiring recent examples of homegrown talent from the North East?The team behind this episode:Finlay HorsfallJoe OuldRob WildWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Representation is important as it helps people feel less alone, by letting them know there's a community of others like them. Unfortunately, the history behind queer representation in the media is a short one - historically LBGT characters have often been stereotypical, or received cruel fates.On today's episode of Word on Wearside, join Nisha and Katy, as discuss queer representation in the media; the history of queer representation, and the effects this has had on the community.The team behind this episode:Nisha CullenKaty DavisonWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

In this episode of Word on Wearside, we delve into why many students need to work alongside their studies and how it impacts their life. Balancing work whilst studying can lead to a number of issues; from stress to time management struggles. Despite the potential challenges some students may face, the majority still continue to work.We spoke with two ex-students, Amy Kelly and Rachel Gibson, who informed us why they felt the need to work, how it impacted their university experience, and whether they recommend it to current students. We also gained insight from a member of the University of Sunderland’s student support services, Andreea Nastaste, who gave student’s information on how to seek financial help from their universities. We discussed the positives and negatives in more detail in this episode hosted by; Ellie and Neave.The team behind this episode:Ellie ByrneNeave ColwellWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Ellie, Taylor, and Luke tackle a big problem in the world of grass-roots football - lack of funding. Without funding, many Sunday League teams simply wouldn't exist.Hear from Johnny Dunn, Club Secretary & Chairman of the Grange, a Sunday league team based in Sunderland, and Jake Holyoak, the CEO & Founder of One March Performance PR.The team behind this episode:Luke MaddisonEllie McDevittTaylor StephensonWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

"A lot of the time, people don't realise that right on our doorstep there's this incredible music scene." - When artists like Favourite Child's Connor Thompson say this about cities in the North East, it makes you wonder why they tend to stray away from performing.Join Sarah, Charlotte, and Tammi as they investigate 'The Death of Live Music in the North East'.The team behind this episode:Charlotte AllsopTammi FairbairnSarah LeaverWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

This episode of Word on Wearside is made in collaboration with The Final Nail Podcast.We all know how complicated and expensive dying can be, but what if you have a few extra stone?As a death enthusiast, and someone with a family who suffers from obesity and obesity related illnesses, Meena Green (your guide in all things dearth and burial) was thinking a lot about the difficulties that could occur with dying obese - especially now, with body positivity and health-at-any-size influencers popping up on her social social media feed.Meena spoke with Funeral Director Daniel Ackerley, and embalmer Scott Grigsby, to find out what it means to die when obese.The team behind this episode:Meena GreenWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Chris Rigg is the latest academy player to make a major first-team breakthrough at Sunderland. However, Chris' story isn't the reality for most young players. In this episode of Word on Wearside, we're looking into the problems surrounding academy football - just why do so many players enter club academies and not make it to the ultimate goal?We'll be joined by Sunderland's Under 21 footballer Ben Crompton, and Sunderland Under 18's Academy Coach Jordan Moore.The team behind this episode:Finlay AndersonBlake BurnsLiam DayWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Is the Culture House worth the city's £27million investment?Join us - James, Aura and Taz - as we debate this by talking to nearby businesses and people working in the creative industries. Is there enough of a buzz about the Culture House for it to become what it's dreamed to be? And do the general public even know what the building is for?The team behind this episode:Taz ChowdhuryJames NicodAura StephensonFeaturing interviews with:Rubie McKeever - Staff, Keel TavernJo Howell - Photographic Artist, and organiser of the Save Our NGC campaignJennie Fraser - Company Apprentice, Southpaw Dance CompanyWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Hello, I'm Kira. I'm originally from two hours away in West Yorkshire, and moved to study journalism at the University of Sunderland. I want to explore why people like me choose to move away from home, and travel across the country to study at university.Join me as I chat with Nicole and Emily, students on 'Photography, Video, and Digital Imaging' and Beth who's on a 'Primary Education' degree, finding out; why they chose to move here, the ups and downs, and their advice for future students. We'll also meet Emma Little, Senior Lecturer in Initial Teacher Training, and ask her why the University pride themselves on being 'Warm Up North'.The team behind this episode:Kira HunterWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Influencer style boxing has blown up over the last six years. A one-off event between KSI and Joe Weller changed the course of the whole sport into something that we've never seen before. And now, with characters such as Jake Paul fighting some of mainstream's ,arrest figures in-front of sold out arenas, low-level boxing has been left on the wayside.World-championship fights are being fought in-front of half-full small venues, with money being directed towards big pay-per-view content creator events. But was this the fault of the organisers, who struggled to get eyes on some of the best talent that they've seen in their respective weight divisions? Does boxing rely on content creators? The team behind this episode:Mosaddek AbuHarvey AllenMorgan JamesonWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Other clubs can't believe or understand why Sunderland and Newcastle as footy clubs mean so much to the fans and the cities. They spur each other on as clubs and fans; a massive derby, a massive rivalry.Middlesborough fans are also passionate and loyal, but they're on a level below the Sunderland/Newcastle derby - which is no disgrace, given Sunderland and Newcastle have perhaps the best rivalry in the whole world.In this episode of Word on Wearside, join us as we explore the three teams behind this 'North East Passion'.The team behind this episode:Josh BellTom Kelly-HansfordJosh MetcalfeWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

Is men's mental health in crisis? We explore the unspoken topics and discover why men won't talk about their mental health. We are joined by Michael Chapplow, who provides expert advice and opinion on the topic from his experience as a worker at mental health charity Andy's Man Club.Trigger Warning: Please be aware that this episode of Word on Wearside involves discussing men's mental health and suicide.The team behind this episode:Will JeffriesJamie LeadbitterJames YoungWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

With the 2024 January transfer window creeping ever closer, join Callum, Dom, Liam, and local journalist Daniel Wills, as we discuss what's ahead for the upcoming season.The team behind this episode:Callum CloseDom FrankLiam RaffertyWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland.

On this episode, Joseph Hannen, Dylan Richardson and Josh Kirtley discuss potential areas for Newcastle United to improve on in the upcoming transfer window, with an exclusive interview with up-and-coming Newcastle reporter Joel Bland. In light of the ten month ban for former midfielder Sandro Tonali, who admitted to allegations of illegal gambling, this position is a priority for Newcastle to fill. But who could replace him, and how will this shift affect the lineup?The team behind this episode:Joe HannenJosh KirtleyDylan RichardsonWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

As the use of A.I. rises, young designers are becoming more and more nervous about their jobs and their futures. Could this be even tougher for us northerners?We have spoken to two people in the industry to help us find out if A.I. really impacts emerging designers in the North East, and how we can future-proof ourselves in this changing industry.The team behind this episode:Lucy BakerMaddy CiaraldiMaia OlusanyaJessica ThompsonWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.

A multi-national episode, as representatives from England (Jack), Germany (Annika), and Albania (Marlind) discuss their countries' chances at the summer's Euro tournament.With analysis from BBC's Guy Mowbray, and The Athletic's Seb Stafford-Bloor.The team behind this episode:Jack AustwickeAnnika BöttcherMarlind YmeriWord on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.