Louise Sayers

I have 15 years of industry experience working across TV, radio, and digital platforms. 

Articles I've written

BBC Newsround •

Family visited 90 triangulation pillars in special challenge

Have you ever wondered what the concrete structures at the top of mountains and hills are? That's a question Press Packers Abigail and Joseph also wanted the answer to.They did some research and found out that they are called triangulation pillars or trig pillars. A triangulation pillar marks the highest part of the land, and were vital in map making when they were installed back in 1936.

Have you ever wondered what the concrete structures at the top of mountains and hills are?

That's a questi...
BBC Newsround •

UK Immigration: Why are children coming to the UK in small boats?

Every day, migrants try to cross the English Channel - the stretch of water between England and France - in small boats or dinghies.Among them are lots of children. There are different reasons migrants might try to come to the UK. Some are fleeing war or persecution in their home country. Others are coming hoping to make money. That is against the law.Whatever people's circumstances, entering the UK in a small boat is illegal and anyone arriving in this way is breaking the law.Criminal gangs org...
BBC News •

Warrington man abandons haircut to help officer under attack

A man having his hair cut leapt out of the barber's chair and ran to help a police officer who was being wrestled to the ground in a headlock.Kyle Whiting was having a trim at Haron Barbers in Warrington, Cheshire, when he looked through the window and saw the officer being confronted.The 32-year-old dashed out of the shop - with the barber's cape still draped around his shoulders - before dragging the man off the officer and giving him time to handcuff the suspect.Mobile phone footage of the in...
BBC News •

'Hollyoaks bowel cancer storyline is personal after losing dad' - Jennifer Metcalfe

A soap actress, whose own father died of bowel cancer, has said she has been able to bring "real personal experience" to the role as she portrays her character's diagnosis with the disease.Jennifer Metcalfe, who plays Mercedes McQueen in the E4 show, Hollyoaks, said the story was "incredibly important" to her and she had "jumped at the chance to do anything that might encourage conversation". In recent months, Mercedes has undergone chemotherapy and had a stoma bag fitted.Bowel Cancer UK said in...
BBC News •

Bury homeless project appeals for new venue after church sold

A community project which has been forced to close has been a "lifeline for many" homeless people and those struggling with addiction, its founder has said. It's Time4Change has held a breakfast club twice a week in a church in Bury, Greater Manchester, where it also gives people advice on housing, benefits and support. That church has been sold and the group is appealing for help to find a new free or affordable venue in the town. Michael Priestley, who set up the breakfast club after being h...
BBC News •

Girlguiding North West England introduces new Sea Savers badge

A new badge aimed at promoting marine conservation has been launched for Girl Guides in the north west of England.The Sea Savers badge requires Guides to complete six challenges, which could include learning about ocean wildlife, fishing or a beach clean.Girlguiding North West England said nine girls had so far taken the challenge, which was created in partnership with Sea Life.It said the hope was to roll the badge out across the country.Lily and Francesca went litter-picking on Blackpool beach...
BBC Newsround •

Northern Ireland: What is an integrated school?

Robyn and Noah live in County Antrim in Northern Ireland, and have been chosen to tell their story as part of the BBC Young Reporter competition. They wanted to tell other children about the changes that had been taking place at their primary school.In September 2021, it became one of the first primary schools in Northern Ireland to formally change its status to integrated.Many unionists want to remain part of the United Kingdom and are often from a protestant background, while many nationalists...
BBC Newsround •

Shanequa speaks to children in France ahead of the election

This weekend France are voting to decide who will become its next President. An election in a neighbouring country like France is always a big deal because the decision will influence how that country acts, which could affect everyone around them.Adults will be voting for who they want to lead the country for the next five years. Current President Emmanuel Macron faces rival politician Marine Le Pen.Shanequa has spent the last few days finding out more about the country and some of the big issue...
BBC Newsround •

Wheelchair access problems at COP26 as Israeli minister unable to join event

Organisers at COP26 have been criticised after an Israeli politician could not attend the summit on Monday due to a lack of wheelchair access in Glasgow. Karine Elharrar, Israel's minister of energy and water resources said she was "sad" that accessibility wasn't provided at the event and had to return to her hotel 50 miles away in Edinburgh. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson later apologised to Ms Elharrar, who has muscular dystrophy, and COP organisers tweeted that: "This was a genuine mistake...
BBC Newsround •

The Princess Trust: First afro hair wigs made

The Princess Trust has revealed its first ever wigs made using afro hair.The charity makes wigs made from real hair and gives them to children who have lost their own due to cancer treatment or for other reasons.Last year 11-year-old Carly from Norfolk was told she couldn't donate her hair curly afro hair to the charity, as it was "not possible".However, after pressing the charity to try, a few months later it shared it had had a "historic breakthrough" in making afro hair wigs.Carly has now bec...
BBC Newsround •

The 10-year old who wants more kids to be able to donate their afro hair for wigs

Every year tens of thousands of children cut off their hair and donate it to the Little Princess Trust, a charity who use donated hair to make wigs for children who have lost their hair following cancer treatment. But when 10-year-old Carly from Norfolk asked to donate her hair to the charity, like her friends had done, she was surprised and disappointed to hear that they wouldn't be able to accept it. The Little Princess Trust said for many years it had sought to find a wig manufacturer who can...
BBC Newsround •

LGBT+ History Month: What it means to 'come out'

It's LGBT+ History Month, which is a time to promote the history and celebrate the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The + is an inclusive symbol to mean 'and others' to include people of all identities.This year is the 50th anniversary of the very first Pride march in the UK, where around 2000 people gathered in London to march from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square. But for some people, having their sexual or gender identity celebrated or accepted hasn't always been easy, and...
BBC Newsround •

K pop: How do you become a K pop star?

Newsround has been to South Korea to find out more about K-pop - the music phenomenon that has been taking over the world.K-pop, which stands for 'Korean pop', is a multi-billion-pound music industry. It is not only popular in South Korea, but also all around the world. Successful K-pop groups like BTS - who were the first Korean act to have a number one album in the UK charts - are among the most successful groups in the music industry. Artists can rack up millions of views on YouTube within ju...
BBC Newsround •

K beauty: What is it? And why is it so popular?

Beauty is big business in South Korea. Massages, facials, nail treatments, hair styling and make-up all form part of a multi-billion pound industry which is incredibly popular in the country.In 2017, South Korea's beauty industry was estimated to be worth just over $13 billion (£10 billion), according to retail researchers Mintel.But it's not just adults that are enjoying all that the beauty industry has to offer. Children as young as three years old are getting involved too. There are special...
BBC Newsround •

North Korea defectors: Meet young people who have fled from North to South Korea

Every year, over 1,000 people escape from North Korea - one of the most secretive countries in the world.They do this because in North Korea, people have to live by very strict rules. A lot of people - including children - try to escape in order to have more freedom in their lives.Many flee via China in the hope of making it to South Korea - North Korea's less strict neighbour.Newsround has been to South Korea to meet young people who've managed to escape and who now live in South Korea.Find out...
BBC Newsround •

South Korean internet addiction camp: What is life like there?

South Korea is the most connected country in the entire world. Almost everybody has a smartphone and access to the internet, but this has come with a darker side. Official figures for last year show that over 140,000 young people were addicted to the internet, but some reports suggest that this number could in fact be much higher.As a result, there are many centres across South Korea where teenagers can go to be treated for this and to receive help to get offline.Schools have also introduced spe...
BBC Newsround •

Son Heung-Min: Spurs forward who became Asia's most expensive footballer

If you're a Tottenham Hotspur fan, then you'll definitely know the name Son Heung-Min.Originally from Chuncheon in South Korea, Son Heung-Min became Asia's most expensive footballer ever when he joined Spurs back in 2015. He quickly became one of the Premier League's biggest stars, and in his home country he's as big as players like Cristiano Ronaldo are in the rest of the world. Newsround has been to South Korea to meet Son Heung-Min's older brother - Son Heung-Yun - to find out more about his...
BBC News •

Tsunami: The Scots couple who spent 10 years rebuilding Sri Lanka

John Purves and his wife Patricia had been working in Sri Lanka for a year when the tsunami struck.Since then they have been involved at every stage in the rescue, recovery and rebuilding programme over the past 10 years. Their work was only completed a year ago, when John retired from his ministry at St Andrew's Scots Kirk in Colombo. Bringing their unique perspective on Sri Lanka's story of recovery, the couple discuss what they witnessed, the work they were involved in, and how they've seen S...
BBC News •

How living through tsunami 'changed our lives'

John Chroston, a teacher from Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, was in Thailand enjoying a festive holiday with his wife Sandra and 11-year-old daughter Beccy. Having spent Christmas day enjoying a tour of the island, John expected to spend Boxing day relaxing at the beach with his family. Little did they know that in less than an hour that beach would no longer exist, having been swept away by a 20m (65ft) wave. Over the past 10 years John has thought about the tsunami almost daily. He remembers...
BBC News •

MTV EMAs: A night Glasgow won't forget

With thousands of international guests flying into Scotland and 8,000 hotel bookings made across the weekend, the MTV EMA awards have certainly put the focus on Glasgow and are estimated to have brought a £10m boost to the city's economy.But for the audience at the Hydro Arena, it was all about the music. Amy Hamilton, 17, and Hannah Selley, 16, were second in the queue for the local auditions, having arrived at the venue at 07:00 in the morning for auditions that didn't begin until 10:00. Amy s...
BBC News •

MTV EMA awards: One Direction win big at Glasgow ceremony

One Direction were the big winners at the 20th annual MTV Europe Music Awards taking the awards for Best Pop, Best Live and Biggest Fans. The band were not at the ceremony to collect the award in person but thanked their fans in video clips.Other stars winning multiple awards included US hit maker Ariana Grande, 5 Seconds of Summer and Katy Perry, who was also absent from the event.The event was held at the Hydro arena in Glasgow on Sunday night.Anaconda singer Nicki Minaj hosted the awards, as...
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