A Cheadle school hit the headlines as Staffordshire University journalism students staged the Future Journalist Awards 2023.

Painsley Catholic College, Cheadle, scooped the majority of awards in a competition which attracted around 400 entries.

The Future Journalist Awards are organised by final year Sports Journalism students at Staffordshire University and were judged by a panel of industry experts made up of Stoke-on-Trent Live and The Sentinel’s Stoke City FC reporter, Pete Smith, Becky Woods, from BBC in the Midlands, Matt Smith, from BT Sport, Mark Edwardson, formerly of BBC North West Tonight, and Joe Thompson, a broadcaster working in news for radio stations,  Heart and Smooth.

Pupils from John Wheeldon Primary, Stoke, were the big winners in the younger age groups, taking home five prizes.

Further winners came from Mill Hill Primary, Tunstall, Chase Terrace Academy and  St Joseph’s College, Trent Vale.

The awards are run by the journalism students as part of their work towards graduation. They have to organise the awards from a standing start, promoting them online and liaising with schools, source prizes and then organise and stage the final event at the university’s Catalyst building, Leek Road, Stoke.

Newcastle-under-Lyme based KMF Group were the event’s main sponsors, donating funds to support a range of prizes.

Around 80 people, including pupils, their parents and teachers, celebrated with the winners.

They were treated to a Question and Answer session with BT Sport Presenter Matt Smith who talked about his career, including anecdotes about interviews he’d carried-out with Nelson Mandela and Lionel Messi.

Module leader Nigel Howle worked with the Level Six students as they organised the awards. He said: “The Future Journalist Awards serve three purposes; they are a highly practical exercise for our final year students, they aim to encourage pupils to get creative and they are an introduction to Staffordshire University, showcasing our cutting edge news room facilities to pupils and teachers.

“We had a good number of high quality entries and judges had their work cut out to pick the award winners. The standard of our event was also extremely high, students rose to the organisational challenge, working with our judges and BT Sport’s Matt Smith, who joined students as a presenter at the awards ceremony. Thanks must also go to KMF Group who do so much to support young people in North Staffordshire.”

ENDS

For media enquiries contact Nigel Howle. Telephone 0776 2043436, email [email protected]