Screen Time for Children

I've been reporting on new research by Sheffield Hallam University exploring the negative impact of screen use on children. They've found stressed parents’ reliance on screen time for their kids can lead to a reduction in how responsive they are to their children which can make problematic behaviour worse in the long term.

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Commuter Students

According to the latest statistics, more young people are choosing to live at home and commute to their chosen university because of financial pressures. I went to Leeds to find out more...

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Flooding Mental Health

I've been working on a story to do with the impact of flooding on mental health. Unlike other news providers, local and regional journalists are in our communities year round. Rather than just turning up when a big story breaks, like when there is devastating flooding, we are here long after the flood waters have receded. That is why stories like this are so important. Click here for the online article and my TV report is below.

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Uni Accommodation

With university term back in full-swing, some students are choosing to live at home rather than in student accommodation. The reasons include the cost of living crisis and student loans not covering all the expenses of being at uni. I've been to meet a Leeds Beckett Uni student who's stayed at home and one who moved out.

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Cold Cap

Scientists in Sheffield say they've discovered a "powerful double weapon" in efforts to prevent cancer patients losing their hair during chemotherapy. Cold caps are currently used to prevent hair loss during treatment but in combination with a new lotion containing antioxidants - scientists think it could be even more effective. The plan now is to trial the laboratory research on cancer patients.

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Hallam University

Students' experience of going to university is so drastically different from any other year because of covid. I interviewed students at Sheffield Hallam University to find out what life's been like.

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Demolition

Residents living next to a University of Sheffield building site say their lives have been made intolerable by the constant noise. The huge social sciences building was not far from being completed when it was found that part of the building started to sink and it was established the foundations were not deep enough. It’s now having to be demolished and rebuilt which means even more disruption for residents.

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Virtual Clearing

I went to the University of Sheffield to see how they were managing clearing this year. More than a hundred University of Sheffield students & staff were answering thousands of calls from A Level students wanting to study there. It was almost all done from home because of social distancing.

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University of Sheffield Volunteering

I've been named University of Sheffield's Alumni Volunteer of the Year for 2020 which I have to say I'm really chuffed about. Over the last few years I've been helping journalism students by mentoring them. For five years I was also a member of the Alumni Board which supports, advises and monitors  the effectiveness of the University’s alumni engagement programme.

I love being able to give back. I remember well what it was like as a student at the University of Sheffield and worrying about how I would break into the world of journalism. Talking to journalists about their careers really helped me back then and now, as a mentor, I have the opportunity to pass on the knowledge that I've acquired. All of the four students I've worked with over the years have been polite, enthusiastic and keen to learn. Two of them are now working for the BBC at a national level and I'm still in touch with them and proud to have played a small part in their success.

I'd really encourage fellow alumni to the University of Sheffield to volunteer, even if you have limited time to be able to do so. You can register your interest and look at the voluntary positions available here.

Prostate Cancer

This week I've been in Barnsley and Sheffield to film a story about prostate cancer. The University of Sheffield is at the forefront of attempts to reduce the number of deaths from the disease. I filmed and edited this on the same day so had to work quickly to get it done in time for the programme. When time is limited like this, having a plan of how you might tell the story before you set off to film is crucial.



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Sexual Consent Classes

I've been filming a story at the University of Sheffield as it's one of the first universities in the country to pilot sexual consent classes for new students. It's after National Union of Students' research showed worrying levels of lad culture, sexual harassment and sexual assaults on campuses across the country...



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Student Flats Story

I've been back to my old university to film a story about seventy students in Sheffield who've been left homeless because the new flats they're supposed to move into have been deemed unsafe by the fire service. The apartments in a converted church in the Crookesmoor area of the city were supposed to be ready at the beginning of July. But at the beginning of the new academic year they were still not finished and the fire alarms weren't installed.




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University of Sheffield Work Video

I was asked by the University of Sheffield to make a short home-made video on what it's like to do my job. It's aimed at people who might be interested in studying at the University. Ironically I wasn't brilliant at using the hand-held device the University gave me to record the video to film a selfie interview!



And if you want to watch the my report on singing carols in Sheffield pubs which is featured in the video above, click here.

Milkshake

At the ITV training fortnight in Leeds, we (the trainee journalists) made a second programme. I reported on a story in Sheffield. Look out for a cameo appearance from my girlfriend!

Here's the link into the package that the presenter reads:

"There's hardly a section of society that isn't feeling the effects of the recession. A recent survey questioned thousands of students in Sheffield, York and Leeds about their career prospects. Only a third of them said they expected to find a good job when they graduate. So, some students are finding different ways to launch their careers. Mark Ansell reports."

Life after being a Sabb

Two years ago I was a sabbatical officer at Sheffield University Students' Union. The Union has just published a list of what past officers are now up to, proving that there is life after being a sabbatical officer!:

http://www.shef.ac.uk/union/student-voice/elections09/life-after.php