Aspiring reporters gathered at the University of East Anglia for national awards and workshops to celebrate student media excellence between 27 and 29 March.

The Student Publication Association (SPA) chose the ‘Home of the Wonderful’ to host more than 20 panel discussions with industry professionals. 

Contributors included Chief presenter at the BBC, Maryam Moshiri, Member of Parliament, Terry Jermy, Bloomberg’s Tiwa Adebayo and so many more.  

Geraldine Scott, a trustee for the charity and former Concrete Editor-in-Chief, coined the event “the Best Spanc yet.”  

Students from member publications attended the 2026 national conference which culminated in a formal awards ceremony in the LCR on Saturday night.

Hannah Foley earned a Highly Commended award for Best Lifestyle Piece after her two-week experiment using a Barbie-branded phone. 

Judges also recognised Charlotte Ward who was Highly Commended for the Best Arts or Culture Piece. 

“We were beyond excited to host #SPANC26 and bring the conference to Norwich,” said Concrete editor-in-chief, Emily Pitt-Shaw,  

“I am incredibly proud of all those that continue to be involved in student journalism, and Concrete enjoyed welcoming everyone to the University of East Anglia.  

“I know that the trustees, officers, Hannah and I have done everything to make it another incredible year of workshops and awards.” 

The venue was adorned with handcrafted flowers and newspaper place holders, which the Concrete volunteers helped to craft. 

Modern Life Cafe and Campus Kitchen staff prepared 750 plates of food for 250 guests who attended the sit-down dinner. 

Concrete’s Emily Pitt-Shaw will lead the new executive committee as chair of Spa Journalism for the 2026/27 academic year. 

Anna Boyne joins the board as Communications Officer alongside Conference and Events Officer, Oisín McGilloway. 

The team also includes Training and Opportunities Officer Abbie Brown, Sponsorship Officer Jacob Robinson and Membership Officer Jack Walsh. 

The charity has now opened applications for eight regional officer and four project officer positions. 

Successful applicants help shape the future of the organisation and support the next generation of journalists  

You can apply here: https://www.spajournalism.com/apply-now-the-spa-needs-new-regional-and-project-officers-11491/ 

Image Credit: SPA Journalism