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 Carr
• Tyler Elleanor
• Scarlett Gowans

Word 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 Houghton

Word 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-Smith

Word 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 Forster

Word 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 Horsfall
• Joe Ould
• Rob Wild

Word 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 Cullen
• Katy Davison

Word 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 Byrne
• Neave Colwell

Word 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 Maddison
• Ellie McDevitt
• Taylor Stephenson

Word 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.