Ever heard of Pickleball? Join us, Ryan & Tom, in 'Pickles and Paddles', a short and dynamic episode of Word on Wearside as well delve into the exciting world of Pickleball, a fast-growing sport captivating the North East of England.

We take you behind the scenes, sharing firsthand experiences from our interviews with the vibrant members of the Sunderland Pickleball Panthers Club. Dive into the heart of the game from our time playing court-side.

We sit down with Val Vladea, the North East Regional Director of Pickleball England, giving unique insights into the sport's growth.

The team behind this episode:

• Tom Bullock
• Ryan O'Hara

Word on Wearside is a Spark Sunderland podcast, produced by journalism students at the University of Sunderland. With teaching supervision by Lecturer in Audio, Jay Sykes.