Meet the team

Matt Ward-Perkins

Chair


Matt is the SPA’s chair, and former conference and events officer. As a student, he was editor of York Vision, as well as holding roles in York’s student radio and television societies. Outside of the SPA he works in the output production team at CNBC and volunteers in events roles for the Student Radio Association and Pride in London.

Ella Robinson

Training & opportunities officer


Ella is the SPA’s training and opportunities officer and editor-in-chief of The Mancunion, the Best Student Publication in the UK and Ireland 2022. Ella is very passionate about student journalism and making it more accessible, setting up a mentor scheme with Mancunion alumni, helping to organise the largest ever Women in Media conference, and recently she was a judge for the Amnesty International Student Journalist Award.

Jess Walmsley

Conference & events officer


Jess is the SPA’s conference and events officer and former editor-in-chief of The Mancunion. Jess has plenty of events organising experience from leading multiple Mancunion training days and hosting a range of speakers from regional and national publications and being a former chair of the largest Women in Media Conference to date. She is completing a degree in International Disaster Management & Humanitarian Response at the University of Manchester.

Justine Noble

Communications officer


Justine is the SPA’s communications officer. She has recently finished a degree in History and International Relations at King’s College London, where she was a News Editor at Roar News. Currently, she is working towards an MA in International Journalism at City, University of London. In her free time, Justine enjoys playing the guitar, exploring new neighbourhoods in London and cooking.

Rory Buccheri

Sponsorship officer


Rory is the sponsorship officer, former Arts Editor and Head of Food and Drink at The Gaudie. They work as a freelance journalist covering food, entertainment, and travel, and are passionate about NB and queer representation in the media. Before joining the SPA, Rory worked as a student-facing Careers and Graduate Adviser at the University of Aberdeen.

Get the latest from the SPA straight to your inbox