Spark News
Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) shows that the UK’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE) recycling target for 2025 is 517,285 tonnes. Since 2016, the UK failed to meet its annual recycling targets until 2023, when it met the target with 473,047 tonnes. In 2024, the UK exceeded […]
Over the past five years, the number of children choosing home education in North East England has steadily increased, showing a growing trend across the region. According to the latest government statistics, 111,700 children in the UK are currently receiving elective home education, with 4,570 of them in the North East. While this percentage is […]
Over the past year or so, the funding crisis facing hospices in the UK has been the subject of much attention in parliament and the media. However, an investigation has revealed that over the past seven (financial) years, funding given by the government to hospices in the North East and North Cumbria region has increased. […]
A freedom of information request has shown that the amount of recycling that could not be reprocessed due to contaminated material was at a low in 2023/24. The request was made to Durham County Council and relates to dry, household recycling collected from kerbsides across County Durham. Recycling contamination occurs when something is either put […]
Global warming is causing people to be most concerned about rising temperatures, in new data from The Office for National Statistics. Climate change is a point of concern for much of the population, especially with rising temperatures, rising sea levels and droughts becoming more common. Data released by the Office for National Statistics shows how […]
As cremation rates reach an all-time high in the UK, what are the deciding factors for our final send-offs? If you attend a funeral today, it is very likely going to be at the crematorium, rather than at the graveside. A century ago, this type of send-off would have been almost unimaginable; cremation was only […]
The modern world poses many discussions over which our youngest and oldest generations are painfully divided; technology, politics, fashion – the list goes on. But in an unusual – or perhaps more aptly, alarming – turn of events, young people in the UK and their seniors are finding themselves united by a cause which threatens […]
The Good Apple Café is Sunderland’s first 100% vegan café. They specialise in homemade vegan cakes and treats, with a small range of gluten free options as well. I decided to give the café a visit as I am lactose intolerant and have heard good things about the café. I was also really craving a […]
The space is St Oswald’s Hospice’s new fund-raising shop in the Ouseburn, in Newcastle. Photo: St Oswald’s Hospice SPACER A charity which supports those with life-limiting conditions is now looking to support those who want to live a more environmentally-friendly life. It’s a new approach to fund-raising from the young team working for St Oswald’s […]
The 2025 Manchester Marathon saw over 36,000 runners tackle the 26.2-mile route from Old Trafford through Stretford and Altrincham, finishing in Manchester city centre. Seamus Solan was there for Spark, to capture the electric atmosphere on the start line after months of gruelling preparation, and emotional finish-line triumphs. As one of the UK’s largest marathons, […]
