Spark News
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The Black Cats, a new children’s book by Victoria Downes exploring SAFC folklore, hit bookstore shelves October 3 2025. Illustrated by Lorraine Hall, with a foreword by club historian Rob Mason, the book explores the history behind the famous Black Cat nickname associated with Sunderland AFC, including how a cat snuck into Wembley to help […]
Sunderland’s own fundraisers, Stockton Road Hit Squad, are back again with a spooktacular Halloween gig. Prominent Sunderland musicians and bands will be performing at the Independent on October 31. The gig is organised by the Stockton Road Hit Squad, a charity campaign group that supports The Bunker CIC. They have run multiple successful fundraising efforts, […]
Sunderland Literary and Philosophical Society (‘Lit & Phil’) is set to host a panel celebrating Black History Month tomorrow (Thursday 30 October). The event, from 6.30 to 9.30pm, will be held at the Sea Change Café, at the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. The Sunderland Lit & Phil – re-established in 2025 after being gone […]
Skiing, music, and food – you would think you were in the super-trendy French Alpine ski resort of Val-d’Isere, not Sunderland’s Silksworth Ski Slope. But last Friday, the Silksworth Slope was transformed into a ski village, for its ‘kickstart to the season’ après ski party full of music and winter sports. International Radio One DJ […]
An exhibition at the Washington Art Centre is exploring how myths and magic around witches and warlocks have evolved from the past to the present day. The Witches exhibition brings together local artists’ interpretations of witchcraft and the supernatural, challenging traditional depictions and celebrating new perspectives. One of the featured artists, James Wilkinson, said: “Whenever […]
As the cold weather and festive season is soon to be underway, concerns around staying warm and fed are unfortunately a factor that many people must consider. Fortunately, the City of Sunderland takes its sense of community seriously when it comes to looking out for each other and great work from the Sunderland Community Soup […]
A Sunderland walking group is helping women make friends and tackle loneliness in the wake of the Covid pandemic. Girls Who Walk Sunderland (GWWS) was set up to bring local women together through regular walks and social activities. Admin Sophie Richardson, 26, said: “We want to make sure we’re supporting girls who feel lonely. Especially […]
A new all-vegan café, Layla’s Kitchen Café, has opened this month at Jesmond United Reformed Church. The café serves a range of plant-based food and drink options — including teas, lattes, salads, and wholesome cookies — with some gluten-free choices available too. The owner of Layla’s Kitchen Cafe, Yasmin Sayed Ahmed, had been running an […]
Pumpkin picking season is here, and Spark Sunderland is revealing the top five unmissable spots to celebrate. With Halloween around the corner, farms across the North East are selling out tickets to their well-loved annual pumpkin patches. Welcoming visitors to pick their favourite produce, carve their creativity and celebrate renowned autumn tradition, here are our […]
A community arts agency has started searching for a new space in Durham, saying it feels there is a lack of places for ‘creatives’ to connect. Cyan CIC, a community arts agency based in County Durham, hopes to establish an art space where creativity can thrive. The organisation recently held a public meet-up (on October […]
