The Wandering Report

Explainer: Why is community radio under threat and what are the wider impacts?

8May

By Sophie JarvisNo Comments

Reports

Explainer: Why is community radio under threat and what are the wider impacts?

Community radio stations across the UK are facing pressures to survive. From hospital broadcasters to small-town FM stations, many outputs struggle with rising bills, fewer grants, and changes in how audiences listen to radio. This comes as part of wider challenges facing local media, with regional newspapers increasingly closing their doors. So why are community stations under threat, and why are they important? Radio Tyneside's current base which has been sold due to soaring maintenance costs. Image Credits: Sophie Jarvis What does community radio do? Community radio stations, often not-for-profit and volunteer-run, serve local audiences by providing news, entertainment, and support. They focus on programming that reflects the needs and interests of the people who live in the a...

Radio Tyneside Finds New Home in Newcastle University Students’ Union

8May

By Sophie JarvisNo Comments

Reports

Radio Tyneside Finds New Home in Newcastle University Students’ Union

Radio Tyneside will be moving to Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) this summer after their longtime NHS-provided studio was sold due to rising maintenance costs. The award-winning hospital station’s new base will be located on the third floor of the Students’ Union building, just above Newcastle University’s student radio station, NSR. The move provides Radio Tyneside with a private studio and access to modern broadcast facilities. The relocation was proposed by NUSU’s Director of Communications, Friday Cordingley, and Commercial Director, Graham Hatton, following Radio Tyneside’s urgent appeal for new premises in February. It ensures continuity of broadcast for the station, which reaches over 20,000 listeners across Newcastle and Gateshead. The third floor of the Studen...

Likes to Flights: How Social Media is Reshaping Gen Z’s Travel Plans

19Dec

By Sophie JarvisNo Comments

Features

Likes to Flights: How Social Media is Reshaping Gen Z’s Travel Plans

Young travellers are no longer thumbing through glossy brochures or browsing travel agent shop windows to map out their adventures. Instead, social media travel content has revolutionised the way they plan and execute their trips—one ‘like, comment, follow’ at a time. From Instagram profiles filled with dreamy landscapes to TikTok videos offering real-time tips, online platforms are reshaping the dynamics of tourism. According to a study by Adobe, 1 in 10 Gen Z TikTok users now turn to TikTok as a search engine, favouring short-form, visually engaging content over traditional browsers like Google. Sixty percent of Gen Z TikTok users say they’ve visited new destinations after discovering them on the platform. This shift highlights how content creation is transfo...

Student Creates Global Platform after Funding Special Needs Education for Girl in Kenya

17Dec

By Sophie Jarvis3 Comments

Reports

Student Creates Global Platform after Funding Special Needs Education for Girl in Kenya

Keiti and Cynthia. Image Credits: Keiti Corcoran A University of Stirling student has created a global platform after funding special needs education for a deaf 9-year-old girl in Kenya. Keiti Corcoran, a 23 -year-old Criminology and Sociology student from Stirling, Scotland, has founded KeitiConnects, a platform committed to humanitarian work. The company highlights the importance of occupational therapy and raises awareness on the extreme poverty in Kenya. Keiti’s first company trip will take place over Christmas and New Year, where she’ll be travelling back to Kenya as part of a 3-week programme consisting of 8 humanitarian projects. Keiti said: “KeitiConnects is about empowering change and having a part in raising awareness of global issues, especially issues i...

Volunteering with Worldpackers as a Student: An Honest Review

12Dec

By Sophie Jarvis2 Comments

Reviews

Volunteering with Worldpackers as a Student: An Honest Review

Want to travel on a student budget without missing out on the experience? Here's my review of my Italian work exchange... Me on my Worldpackers trip. Image Credits: Sophie Jarvis I spent 6 weeks living in a quaint house on a mountain in Northern Italy, with a view of the gulf and the lighthouse of Portofino in the distance. I swapped my university break in Britain for the warm weather, the distant hums of a small village and Vespas, spending weekends exploring Italian cities and munching on pasta. It was the kind of experience that was splashed on villa getaway spreads in travel magazines. But it was my reality– thanks to volunteering with Worldpackers. I was working as an English Second Language (ESL) tutor for a family of four, and with no formal teaching experience, my days...

Bratislava to Berlin by Bus: The Ultimate Budget Journey for Student Travellers

8Dec

By Sophie Jarvis1 Comment

Guides

Bratislava to Berlin by Bus: The Ultimate Budget Journey for Student Travellers

Looking for a pocket-friendly and time-efficient alternative to interrailing? Taking the bus is your ticket to ride... The view from Castle Hrad, Bratislava. Image Credits: Sophie Jarvis This summer, I set off on a solo adventure through the warm and rolling landscapes of Europe- but rather than hopping on a train or jetting across the skies, I took the bus... the road less travelled, but the ticket to ride. Summer was the sweet-spot between my first and second year of university, and after trudging through a long year of uni and facing the next, I'd cobbled up a case of the travel bug. I was looking for a trip where I could immerse myself into different cultures, but had two setbacks: I had one month to plan, and therefore one month to save, before I went back to university in S...

Students on a Shoestring: 10 Ways to Keep your Trip Cheap and Cheerful

30Nov

By Sophie JarvisNo Comments

Guides

Students on a Shoestring: 10 Ways to Keep your Trip Cheap and Cheerful

A summer trip in between university semesters to the Algarve, Portugal. Image Credits: Sophie Jarvis Let's face it, being a student comes with lots of perks, (cheaper streaming services, UniDays discounts, and, you know, getting a higher education), but having a big travel budget? Not so much. But with that being said, it doesn't mean you shouldn't wring your wanderlust wherever you can- whether you're planning a mini weekend getaway or a group trip with your housemates for the uni break, you can absolutely travel on a shoestring student budget without sacrificing fun and adventure. Here is a collection of 10 tried-and-tested travel tips that will help you keep your globetrotting goals pocket-friendly, stress-free, and unforgettable... ready to start packing? Let's take off! Sea...