Foundation of Light provided the ultimate summer holiday activity experience on Thursday as over 1,500 people attended the Beacon of Light for the charity’s Community Fun Day.
The ultimate community hub welcomed people of all ages and backgrounds, with various activities on offer throughout the day to suit a wide range of interests.
During the summer, children can face social isolation when they’re away from school friends or when they’re taken away from their daily routine. Not only can this period prove difficult for young people, but for parents who are struggling financially, keeping their children entertained can come at a cost.
With inflation at its highest rate for 30 years and with the everyday living costs crisis continuing to grip the nation, just as Covid-19 appeared to have abated, Foundation of Light wanted to provide some support for its very own, and what better way to do this than to bring the local community together for a free event.
Featuring a range of sporting activities including football, dodgeball and table tennis, cooking activities were also on offer as well as activities for those with a disability.
Representatives from the University of Sunderland and Young Asian Voices delivered an array of activities, as Woofs ‘n’ Scruffs hosted a pop-up shop for dog lovers.
Black Cats mascots Samson and Delilah weren’t the only special guests in attendance as players from the Sunderland Ladies side supported the event, with Head Coach Melanie Reay also making an appearance. Vice-captain Emma Kelly was one of four players to show her support to Sunderland AFC’s official charity.
Speaking about the event, Emma said: “It’s got everything every kid would wish for and adults judging by how much we’ve been enjoying it.
“There’s a range of people who can’t really afford the facilities or afford to join clubs so just having these opportunities that the Foundation provide opens up a lot of doors for many young children.”
Reay commented: "I’m really impressed. It’s chock-a-block. As a parent myself, it’s a great opportunity for you to bring your kids, to what looks like a huge range of activities from young toddlers and soft play to teenagers and football so what a fantastic thing the Foundation are doing.”
Lesley Spuhler, CEO of Foundation of Light added: “The whole day has been a massive success. Welcoming over 1,500 to the Beacon is testament to all the hard work our staff do behind the scenes and it has been incredible to see so many smiles on everyone’s faces.
"We hope families got to see the vast array of activity the Beacon of Light provides all year round and that they come back to the Beacon real soon. Thank you to everyone who came to our fun day.”
We’d also like to thank Northumbria Police, Young Asian Voices, University of Sunderland, Ocado, Woofs n Scruffs - Seaham, Truly Madly Pizza and GOGA for supporting our event.
A group of students from the Foundation of Light’s scholarship and study programmes were given a unique opportunity to visit Japan thanks to funding from the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
Foundation of Light PFA Player Ambassador, Aji Alese, and teammate Jenson Seelt marked EFL Week of Action with a visit to the Beacon of Light.
Foundation of Light, Sunderland AFC’s official charity, is thrilled to announce defender Aji Alese as official PFA Player Ambassador.