Amir Vosooghi began volunteering at University Hospital of North Tees during the Covid-19 pandemic, using the experience to improve his wellbeing and regain confidence.

He helped at lunchtimes, welcomed patients, moved people between wards, and supported the foodbank.

Mr Vosooghi, a trained vet who arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker, said: “When Covid started in 2020, I was living alone with no experience of life here.

“I was dealing with anxiety, depression, and kidney pain, and I didn’t know what was happening to me.

“Volunteering became a lifeline.

“On the wards I met brilliant people – almost like angels – who helped me feel human again.

“It gave me confidence, connection, and a sense of belonging.

“I wasn’t useless.

“I was part of something.”

Now living in London, Mr Vosooghi is pursuing further studies and employment while working part-time.

Mr Vosooghi helped at lunchtimes, welcomed patients, moved people between wards, and supported the foodbank (Image: NORTH TEES AND HARTLEPOOL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST)

He said that volunteering was one of the best decisions he made and that he never felt judged or questioned about his past.

He said: “People have ideas about refugees.

“I didn’t want to be asked about my past.

“At the hospital, nobody asked – they just accepted me.

“That acceptance helped me heal.”

After facing health issues, setting new exams, and relocating to London, he is now a British citizen.

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He remains focused on building his veterinary career and encourages others to look at their progress and not be afraid to seek help, adding: “If you feel tired, look at how far you’ve come.

“And never be afraid to ask for help.

“Sometimes that’s what keeps you moving.”

His story was shared to mark Mental Health Awareness Week and highlight the value of volunteering for wellbeing, inclusion, and recovery.

Find out more about volunteering at the University Hospital of North Tees and the University Hospital of Hartlepool by visiting https://www.nth.nhs.uk/about/community/volunteering/

Here’s a simple, day‑by‑day itinerary of set times so you know exactly when to be at the Main Stage and who you can catch if you fancy a wander.

Friday, May 22 – Big Weekend opener

Friday sets the tone with an afternoon start and a heavy dance/electronic flavour on the Main Stage.

Gates open early afternoon, with the first act hitting the stage from around 3pm, building through DJ sets and live performances into the early evening slot.

Expect things to ramp up after work hours, with back‑to‑back sets leading into a hands‑in‑the‑air headliner to close out night one.

If you only have a Friday ticket, aim to be on site by mid‑afternoon so you don’t miss the warm‑up acts.

Main stage

Boo: 3 – 4.10pm

Charlie Hedges: 4.10 – 5.25pn

Clementine Douglas: 5.25 – 5.55pm

Sonny Fodera: 6.15 – 7.15pm

MK: 7.15 – 8pm

FIsher: 8 – 8.45pm

Fatboy Slim: 8.55 – 9.55pm

New Music Stage

Sarah Story: 2.40 – 3.20pm

Ahadadream B2B Arthi: 3.20 – 4pm

Arielle Free: 4 – 4.35pm

Horsegirl: 4.40 – 5.20pm

L.P Rhythm: 5.20 – 6pm

NOTION: 6.05 – 6.45pm

Danny Howard: 6.55 – 7.35pm

Ewan McVicar: 7.35 – 8.20pm

Marlon Hoffstadt: 8.20 – 9.20pm

BBC Introducing Stage

Max Jones: 2.20 – 3.20pm

Jude Lawless: 3.20 – 4pm

Mia Lily: 4 – 4.40pm

Niamh: 4.40 – 5.20pm

Ellie Scougall: 5.20 – 6pm

Sorley: 6 – 6.45pm

Anish Kumar: 6.45 – 7.30pm

Jaguar: 7.30 – 8.15pm

Saturday, May 23 – Pop heavyweights and chart stars

Saturday is the big pop day, with the Main Stage stacked from lunchtime until late.

Early‑afternoon slots are taken by newer names and Radio 1 favourites, perfect background for grabbing food and finding your spot.

By late afternoon the mood shifts up a gear with established chart acts and indie bands, before the build‑up to the headliner.

Main stage

Maia Beth Happy Anthems DJ set: 12.15 – 1.15pm

Ellie Goulding: 1.15 – 2pm

Dean McCullogh’s Pop Anthems DJ set: 2 – 2.45pm

Skye Newman: 2.45 – 3.20pm

Rickie Haywood-Williams & Melvin Odoom Workout Anthems: 3.20 – 4.05pm

Louis Tomlinson: 4.05 – 4.45pm

Nat O’Leary & Vicky Hawksworth Radio 1 Anthems set: 4.45 – 5.20pm

Nothing But Thieves: 5.30 – 6.15pm

Charlie Hedges Dance Anthems DJ set: 6.15 – 7pm

Lola Young: 7 – 7.50pm

Jeremiah Asiamah: 7.50 – 8.40pm

Zara Larsson: 8.45 – 9.50pm

New Music Stage

Erin Le Count: 12.30 – 1pm

Florence Road: 1.30 – 2pm

Wasia Project: 21.30 – 3.05pm

MUNA: 3.35 – 4.15pm

Rachel Chinouriri: 4.45 – 5.30pm

Mitski: 6 – 7pm

Sarah Story: 7 – 7.45pm

James Blake: 7.45 – 8.45pm

BBC Introducing Stage

Emma Harbs: 11.30 – 12pm

Swindled: 12.30 – 1pm

Heidi Curtis: 1.30 – 2pm

Tom A Smith: 2.30 – 3pm

Aaron Rowe: 3.30 – 4pm

BombayMami: 4.30 – 5pm

LeoStay Trill: 5.30 – 6pm

Bella Barbe: 6.30 – 7pm

Sunday, May 24 – Big sing‑alongs to finish

Sunday keeps the energy high but has more of a festival‑closer feel, with big sing‑along sets and guitar bands spread across the afternoon and evening.

The day opens a little earlier to squeeze in a busy line‑up, so it’s worth checking your ticket and the BBC’s official clashfinder before you travel.

Expect Sunday night to end with a statement headliner and a run of hits designed to have the whole park singing along before the fireworks.

Main Stage

Maia Beth Happy Anthems DJ set: 12.15 – 1.15pm

Niall Horan: 1.15 – 2pm

Dean McCullogh’s Pop Anthems DJ set: 2 – 2.45pm

Myles Smith: 2.45 – 3.25pm

Rickie Haywood-Williams and Melvin Odoom Workout Anthems: 3.25 – 4.10pm

Dermot Kennedy: 4.10 – 4.50pm

Nat O’Leary and Vicky Hawksworth Radio 1 Anthems set: 4.50 – 5.35pm

Kehlani: 5.35 – 6.15pm

Charlie Hedges Dance Anthems DJ set: 6.15 – 7pm

CMAT: 7 – 7.50pm

Jeremiah Asiamah: 7.50 – 8.40pm

Olivia Dean 8.45 – 9.55pm

New Music Stage

Alessi Rose: 12.45 – 1.15pm

Odeal: 1.45 – 2.20pm

FLO: 2.50 – 3.30pm

Jorja Smith (party set): 4 – 4.35pm

Holly Humberstone: 5.05 – 5.50pm

Maisie Peters: 6.20 – 7.05pm

Jack Saunders: 7.05 – 7.50pm

Ezra Collective: 7.50 – 8.50pm

BBC Introducing

Jenna Cole 11.30 – 12pm

Able Jack: 12.30 – 1pm

Wohdee: 1.30 – 2pm

Imogen and the Knife: 2.30 – 3pm

Venus Grrrls: 3.30 – 4pm

Finn Forster: 4.30 – 5pm

DC3: 5.30 – 6pm

Rubii: 6.30 – 7pm

Whatever day you’re going, consider being in time for bag checks, bar and toilet queues, and the walk from the transport hubs up to Herrington Country Park.

Scotland great Scott Hastings has died at the age of 61 after undergoing treatment for cancer.

One of the greatest Scottish players of all-time, Hastings won 65 caps for his country in the centres in the 1980s and 1990s, touring twice with the British and Irish Lions.

He featured regularly alongside his elder brother Gavin, and became a popular commentator and pundit for a range of television stations after concluding his playing career with Watsonians in 2000.

His passing on Sunday came on the birthday of his late wife, Jenny.

“Corey and Kerry-Anne Hastings are saddened to inform you that Scott, the Scotland and British & Irish Lions centre, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on the morning of Sunday 17 May,” a statement released by Scottish Rugby said.

“This also marked his late wife Jenny’s birthday, which speaks louder than words that he is safe and with his beloved Jenny. Scott was undergoing cancer treatment and, due to complications, deteriorated extremely quickly.

“Despite every effort by the incredible team at the Western General Hospital ICU, he passed away peacefully and pain-free. At this time, the family ask everyone to give them space to process and manage their energies and ask for their privacy to be respected.”

Hastings announced in 2022 that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and undergone chemotherapy.

Hugely respected within the game both during and after his playing career, Hastings featured 12 times for the Lions on the 1989 and 1993 tours, and also made 13 appearances for the Barbarians.

He remains the most-capped male centre for Scotland of all-time, and helped seal a grand slam with a totemic performance against England in the 1990 Five Nations.

Sir Ian McGeechan, former Scotland and Lions head coach, said: “My association with Scott and his brother Gavin was always special for me because we came into the Scotland set-up, myself as coach, and Scott and Gavin as players, at the same time. We came in together and we grew together.

“I remember Scott on the Lions tours taking an absolute lead. He was so single-minded and determined about winning.

“He was very much your right-hand man, given what he did on the field. I still remember the Grand Slam game against England in 1990. There was his Lions team-mate from the previous year, Jerry Guscott, in the England team, but Scott gave nothing away to him whatsoever.

“Whatever jersey Scott wore, he just made it better.”

Gregor Townsend, a former teammate and now Scotland head coach, added: “In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Scott was an iconic figure for Scottish rugby.

“His defensive display in the 1990 Grand Slam victory over England was crucial to that day’s success and he epitomised what it meant to play for Scotland – combining passion, confidence and aggression, whenever he wore the navy blue jersey.

“Like many other schoolboys throughout Scotland at the time, I wanted to emulate Scott’s approach to the game and how he took the game to the opposition.

“A few years later, I was fortunate to play alongside him on a number of occasions for Scotland, as he became our most-capped player.

“His influence on his team-mates was still very strong towards the end of his career as he helped us come very close to winning another Grand Slam game against England at Murrayfield in 1996.

“Scott always brought positivity and energy into everything he did from his playing career then into the past couple of decades as a widely travelled and respected commentator.

“His passing is a huge loss for Scottish rugby, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and close friends. Rest in peace, Scott.”

Emergency services were called to Redhill Road at 4.23pm today (Sunday, May 17), following reports of a road traffic collision involving a car and a teenager.

The teenager was taken by air ambulance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle for treatment.

The driver of the car was also taken to hospital by road ambulance.

North East Ambulance Service dispatched three ambulance crews, the air ambulance and a clinical team leader to the scene.

A spokesperson for North East Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 4.23pm today (17 May) to a road traffic collision between a car and a teenager on Redhill Road in Stockton.

“We dispatched three ambulance crews, the air ambulance and a clinical team leader.

“The teenager was taken to RVI in Newcastle by the air ambulance and the driver of the car was taken to hospital by road.”

Jemma Warburton, of Briar Close, Spennymoor, was caught exceeding the 30 mph speed limit on Sunday, May 25, 2025.

She was driving a Volkswagen, on the C36 road, which is covered by a local traffic order restricting speed to 30 mph.

Police used manned equipment to record her speed above the limit.

Warburton received the disqualification, as well as four notional penalty points on her record.

Warburton was fined £293.

Court records also show she must pay £130 in costs and a £117 victim services surcharge, with all payments due by June 11.

Her guilty plea was taken into account.

Windsor is known instantly by most as home to one of the world’s oldest royal residences.

However. the picturesque Berkshire town has experienced a surge of a different kind of tourism.

Rather than hoping to get a glimpse of Changing of the Guard, keen cyclists are clamouring to the town to reel in a bargain cappuccino.

The Cinnamon Café has become something of a place of pilgrimage for two-wheeled travellers with its self-described ‘Lycra discount’.

The deal gives cyclists a 10 per cent discount on all food and drink, and plenty of London punters are now going out of their way to Windsor for the ‘Bun run’, the Telegraph reported.

But the sudden influx of middle-aged men or ‘mamils’ as they have become known in the town, has divided locals.

Hugh Nixon, 84, said the lycra discount had turned Windsor into a cycling hub, a particular nuisance for local drivers who can’t get past large bunches of riders.

Café owner Ian Jones said the scheme was designed to encourage less car use, given the shortage of parking in the Berkshire town.

He added that the deal was available to local residents as well as visitors, provided they come on two wheels.

The joint has even put out cycle racks so that punters can safely store their vehicles while they take a pit stop.

The capital is amidst a boom in cycling, with more than nine million Santander Cycle hire in the year up to October 2025, a four per cent rise on the same period the previous year, according to figures provided by contractor Serco.

Councils nationwide have invested heavily in cycle ‘superhighways’ in an effort to boost ridership and cut down car use and traffic in town centres.

But new legislation has also created new offences to tackle dangerous cycling.

Under the newly introduced law, causing death by dangerous cycling is now punishable by up to life imprisonment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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One of Scotland’s best and most loved rugby union players, Scott Hastings, has died at age 61.

Hastings, alongside his brother Gavin, was part of the last Scotland side to win a Grand Slam when they triumphed in the 1990 Five Nations.

In 2022 Hastings revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer, receiving treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which could not be cured.

A statement on Sunday from Hastings’ son Corey and daughter Kerry-Anne confirmed his death.

“We are saddened to inform you that Scott passed away peacefully surrounded by family on the morning of Sunday 17 May,” it said.

“This also marked his late wife Jenny’s birthday which speaks louder than words that he is safe and with his beloved Jenny.

“Scott was undergoing cancer treatment and due to complications deteriorated extremely quickly. Despite every effort by the incredible team at the Western General ICU, he passed away peacefully and pain free.

“At this time, the family ask everyone to give them space to process and manage their energies and ask for their privacy to be respected.

“More information will be shared in due course to celebrate Scott’s incredible life.”

While playing club rugby for Watsonians in his hometown of Edinburgh, Hastings earned 65 caps and toured twice with the British and Irish Lions in 1989 and 1993.

After ending his rugby career in 1999, Hastings became a well known rugby broadcaster, both as a commentator and pundit.

He was also known for his charity work in aid of mental health, motor neurone disease, and plenty of other causes.

Inducted into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame last year, Hastings is considered as one of Scotland’s greatest rugby union players.

TECATE, Mexico (AP) — White sage burning, Norma Meza Calles gathers guests at a Mexican wellness resort into a semicircle facing Kuuchamaa Mountain and asks everyone to close their eyes and feel its presence.

“This is sacred to us like a church for you all. The mountain is our healer, our psychologist,” said Meza Calles, a Kumeyaay Nation tribal leader who explains that in its creation story a shaman transformed into the mountain. “Here is where we gather strength to live in this difficult world.”

Then she calls for a moment of reflection. But the silence is pierced by the crushing of rock. U.S. federal contractors have been blasting and bulldozing Kuuchamaa, which straddles both countries, to make way for new sections of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Indigenous leaders say that in the Trump administration’s rush to build border walls, contractors are desecrating Native American sacred places and cultural sites at an unprecedented pace, more than 170 years after the international boundary split the territories of dozens of tribes.

Federal crews set off blasts on sacred mountain

Barrier construction has ramped up along the 1,954-mile (3,145-kilometer) border even as illegal crossings have plummeted to historic lows. Much of it began this year after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security waived cultural and environmental laws.

In California, explosions on Kuuchamaa send rocks hurtling down its Mexico side.

“We feel that in our DNA,” said Emily Burgueno, a California member of the Kumeyaay Nation, adding that “body” and “land” are the same word in the Kumeyaay language. Some tribal leaders met with DHS officials to urge them to protect Kuuchamaa and are looking into legal action.

“No one ever consented or supported the use of dynamite on the mountain,” Burgueno said.

The nation consists of more than a dozen tribes in California and Mexico’s Baja California.

In Arizona, DHS contractors last month carved through a massive 1,000-year-old fish-shaped geoglyph called “Las Playas Intaglio.” The rare drawing, etched into the desert floor much like Peru’s Nazca Lines, was created on a lava field in what is now the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge.

The Tohono O’odham Nation said it had pointed out the site on its ancestral land for contractors to avoid.

“This was a devastating and entirely avoidable loss,” Tohono O’odham Chairman Verlon Jose said in an April 30 statement. “There is nothing more important than our history, which is what makes us who we are as O’odham. The site was also an irreplaceable piece of the United States’ history, one none of us can ever get back.”

Members of the Inter-Tribal Association of Arizona, which represents 21 tribes, traveled to Washington last month to lobby against a 20-foot (6-meter) secondary wall being built along that section of the border, as well as a primary 30-foot (9-meter) bollard wall planned on Tohono O’odham tribal lands. They met with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a Cherokee Nation member, who listened but made clear his intent is to build more border walls as fast as possible, the Tohono O’odham Nation said in a statement.

Hundreds of miles are under contract

The Trump administration says the barriers are necessary to keep people and drugs from entering the U.S. illegally. It wants walls to cover at least 1,400 miles (2,250 kilometers) of the border.

Trump’s “ big, beautiful bill ” devoted over $46 billion to the effort.

CBP has awarded contracts or begun construction on over 600 miles (966 kilometers) of new border wall, with companion surveillance technology. A double wall is planned or under construction along another 370 miles (596 kilometers).

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He told BBC Sport: “While I think that it is commendable to see a referee stick with his original decision – for only the fourth time in the Premier League this season – I believe that football’s expectation is Mbeumo controlling the ball, especially when it leads to a goal, outweighs the possible deflection off Mbeumo’s hip.”

Criminal Record has brought together a round-up of today’s biggest crime stories.

Every day on Criminal Record we will be bringing you a round-up of the biggest crime stories of the day.

If you love to read about crime in Scotland – this is the place to be every day.

Here’s what has been making the news across the country on Sunday.

Kingpins who dubbed themselves ‘The Lambros’ face losing supercars

Two drug kingpins who dubbed themselves ‘The Lambros’ face losing their supercars as prosecutors target them under proceeds of crime laws.

David Stephen and Shaun Brown are behind bars after being caught masterminding a £12m cocaine importation ring.

They used their DX Home Improvements firm as a cover for their criminal enterprise, which saw them importing class A drugs and selling them on.

The firm appeared to be a thriving legitimate company and they managed to secure a deal as shirt sponsors for Scottish Premiership side Motherwell FC.

But they were actually pocketing a fortune in Crime profits and used the criminal cash to treat themselves to a number of luxury items.

As well as watches, properties and holidays, they splashed out on matching Lamborghinis and dubbed themselves The Lambros.

READ MORE: Kingpins who dubbed themselves ‘The Lambros’ face losing supercars under proceeds of crime

14 arrested after Celtic title victory as two officers seriously injured

Police arrested 14 people during Celtic title party chaos in Glasgow as officers called on the club to “be more accountable”.

Of the 14 arrests, 10 were related to Celtic fans gathering in the Trongate area following the match, while four were at the stadium itself. Police Scotland’s Assistant Chief Constable Mark Sutherland said two officers were injured during disorder in the Trongate, while three members of the public were either injured or suffered medical episodes.

Of the two injured officers one cop has suffered a “significant” facial injury and the other has been left severely bruised.

Sutherland said that so far, there have not been any arrests in relation to the pitch invasion at Celtic Park, but work on the police response to this is ongoing.

Celtic fans flocked to the Trongate to celebrate following their side’s 3-1 win against Hearts, which clinched the league title.

Two police officers were left seriously injured and three people were rushed to hospital.

READ MORE: 14 arrested after Celtic Trongate party as cops demand club ‘be more accountable’

‘Influencer’ unmasked as sex offender makes new social media account claiming to be journalist

A travel “influencer” unmasked as a sex offender has wiped his social media – with new accounts in his name claiming he is a journalist.

Curtis Heighes had more than 60,000 followers across his Curtis Unchained profiles.

But he placed a blackout on the accounts after being found guilty of preying on a disabled woman in her home in 2023.

The 25-year-old has now deleted his Facebook account bar one picture, while new Facebook and Instagram pages bearing his name and purporting to be a journalist have been set up.

The new pages contain AI generated images of a news reporter and copy and pasted stories from real news outlets in his hometown of Bearsden, Dunbartonshire.

A source said: “It is scary to think someone can effectively wipe one life and start another online.”

READ MORE: ‘Influencer’ unmasked as sex offender makes new social media account claiming to be journalist

Family of child rape victim fear attacker could be freed back into their community

The family of a child rape victim say they fear the attacker could be freed back to their community on release from prison this month.

Robert McGregor filmed himself raping three boys, aged three, six and 12, then shared the videos with other paedophiles online. The delivery driver from ­Inverness was jailed for 10 years in April 2017.

The family of one victim was notified by letter last week from the Scottish Prison Service, telling them that the 45-year-old is due to be released on May 29.

They are terrified of coming face to face with their son’s attacker as authorities would not confirm if McGregor will be allowed to return to their home town.

The mum said: “In November he was denied parole and the letter from the board stated he would be released in April 2027 so we thought we had a year. It turns out there was an error in the paperwork because they hadn’t taken into consideration his time on remand.”

READ MORE: Family of child rape victim fear attacker could be freed back into their community

Man arrested after early-hours ‘rape’ on Glasgow city centre lane

A man has been arrested after an alleged rape in the city centre of Glasgow.

Police were alerted to an alleged sex attack on West Regent Lane at 2am on Saturday, May 16. Police confirmed that a 22-year-old man has since been arrested in connection.

He has been released pending further inquiry. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

A police presence remains in the area.

READ MORE: Man arrested after early-hours Glasgow city centre ‘rape’ in lane

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