Roehampton University pulls out the stops for winning Young Reporters

Young Reporters waiting to start their day at the University of Roehampton. Photograph credit: Joshua McFarlane

Winners of the 2025 Young Reporter scheme were privileged to be invited to a university day at Roehampton on Saturday 7 June.

Julie Powell, head of careers together with her university ambassadors and graduates, helped make the day a success with lots of smiles and encouragement for our intrepid Young Reporters.

Each year, the winners compete against hundreds of other students for a top spot in the competition.

It is a valuable opportunity, not only to spend a day in a mock newsroom, but also to experience life as an undergraduate at a real university.

Powell said: “It was an absolute pleasure to host the Young Reporter event in collaboration with students and graduates from the University of Roehampton, where top young reporters created an online newspaper which will be featured across Newsquest’s digital platforms.

“This was a fantastic opportunity for Roehampton students and recent graduates to gain real-world media experience and invaluable, career-enhancing skills.”

Students outside Roehampton University. Photograph credit: Joshua McFarlane

The day began at 10am with a brainstorming session, followed by a full schedule in which students worked on producing a digital newspaper featuring the semi-finalists’ articles.

They received training on how to use newspaper design software and were soon creating full pages ready for publication.

Lunch consisted of pizza and provided a chance for students to make new friends, before an afternoon spent editing, sourcing photos, and adjusting layouts to produce the finished copy.

Ifeoluwakiishi Bayo-Awonaike from Christ’s Hospital, said: “I learned so much about what journalists do and enjoyed getting to know other like-minded young reporters.”

They were supported all day by university graduates and Roehampton ambassadors.

Stan Nwaeze, who headed up the Roehampton team of students, worked tirelessly throughout the day, troubleshooting and assisting students who were struggling with the software.

He said: “It was an honour to guide such talented young minds as they explored journalism, design, and storytelling.

“Their creativity, drive and curiosity reaffirmed the importance of nurturing the next generation of storytellers and visual thinkers.”

Roehampton University graduate Joshua McFarlane spent the day taking photographs, adding to the sense of importance and excitement among the students.

His photos will be published in the Young Reporter Award Magazine, which will be available online at the beginning of July.

Joining the other two graduates, Megan Kaushal brought to the team her experience in digital support and was calm and composed when dealing with any students who were experiencing technical difficulties.

Noa D’Ambrosi from Peter Symonds College, said: “The day surrounded me with people who are equally inspired to write and I have never before been in a place where everyone there felt the same excitement for writing as I do, it was an amazing experience.”

The ambassadors of the university, Ashley Joseph Leboho, Georgina Dyke and Vinay Devgan were on hand all day in their bright yellow jackets, making them clearly identifiable to the students. They helped assemble the newspaper pages and provided support to anyone struggling with the software.

The university ambassadors and graduates. Photograph credit: Joshua McFarlane

As the day came to a close, the ambassadors braved the torrential rain and took all the students plus their parents on a tour of the university.

Tired and exhausted, the students left the campus at 4pm to begin their journeys home. Some were travelling from as far afield as Wales and the North of England, while others were based in London and the South East.

Isaak Hewitt from Torfaen Learning Zone in Wales had set his alarm for five that morning to make the journey, while others had stayed in hotels en route overnight, all eager to attend this unique and exciting day.

Hewitt said: "I found the university day to be very exciting and insightful. The opportunity to talk to professionals in the field and experience what working in the industry would be like was extremely valuable, and I feel I learnt a lot."

Kathryn Tuck, a three time winner from Townley Grammar School, summed up the day by saying: “I really enjoyed the experience and it's given me a fresh appreciation for the hard work involved in educating and informing people who follow the news."

It proved to be a memorable experience for everyone involved, providing expert guidance by the university’s graduates and staff and giving students an authentic taste of life in a busy newsroom.