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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, […]

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 […]

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 Forster Word on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]