Foundation of Light partners with ClearVUE to drive sustainability at Beacon of Light

Foundation of Light has partnered with Gateshead-based energy analytics and sustainability platform ClearVUE to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of the Beacon of Light, helping to ensure the landmark community hub continues to serve local people for generations to come.

Under the partnership, the Foundation of Light becomes a ClearVUE customer, with ClearVUE providing its energy monitoring and analytics technology to support the efficient operation of the Beacon of Light, the Foundation’s landmark community hub in Sunderland. ClearVUE is also a proud sponsor of the Foundation, reinforcing a commitment that extends well beyond a conventional supplier relationship.

The partnership is built around a simple but powerful principle: every saving made in running the Beacon of Light can free up more resource to support local communities.

ClearVUE’s energy monitoring platform is now operational at the Beacon of Light, providing the Foundation’s building management team with real-time visibility of energy consumption across the facility. This data will form the foundation for identifying efficiency improvements and tracking progress over time.

Making the Beacon of Light More Efficient and Sustainable

ClearVUE is already working alongside the Foundation of Light to help make the Beacon of Light more energy-efficient and sustainable, with its energy monitoring and analytics platform now live across the building. The core objectives of the partnership are to reduce energy consumption and energy costs, giving the Foundation greater visibility and control over how energy is used day to day.

By identifying opportunities to operate more efficiently, the partnership aims to ensure the Beacon of Light remains a sustainable community asset for future generations, a building that serves its purpose not only today, but for the decades ahead.

From Energy Savings to Community Impact

The link between sustainability and community impact is at the heart of this partnership. Any savings achieved through improved energy performance can enable more resource to be reinvested directly into the Foundation’s life-changing work across the North East.
The Foundation of Light delivers programmes spanning:

• Health and wellbeing
• Education
• Employability
• Sport

These programmes reach young people and families across Sunderland and the wider region. The Foundation’s footprint is significant: thousands of lives are touched each year through initiatives that create opportunity, build resilience and strengthen communities.

By reducing the cost of operating the Beacon of Light, the partnership creates the potential for those savings to flow back into the programmes and services that make the Foundation such a vital part of the region.

A Partnership Rooted in the North East

Both organisations share a deep connection to the North East of England. ClearVUE is a proud North East business, headquartered in Gateshead, with a strong commitment to supporting the region in which it operates. The Foundation of Light is one of Sunderland’s most recognised and respected institutions, with a reach that extends across the whole of the North East.

This partnership reflects the Foundation of Light’s values of collaboration and innovation, working with like-minded partners who bring specialist expertise and a shared belief that sustainability, efficiency and community impact can work hand in hand.

It is more than a supplier relationship. It is a partnership built around shared values, measurable sustainability improvements and meaningful community outcomes.

Commentary

David Cole, Director of Global Operations at ClearVUE, said:

“We are incredibly proud to partner with the Foundation of Light. The work they do across Sunderland and the wider North East is extraordinary, and the Beacon of Light is a building that deserves to be as efficient and sustainable as possible — precisely because of what it enables.

"Our technology is already live at the Beacon of Light, and we are working closely with the Foundation’s team to build a clear picture of how energy is being used across the building. That understanding is the first step toward meaningful, lasting savings.

"As a North East business, supporting organisations like the Foundation is not just something we believe in; it is part of who we are. Our role is to help reduce energy consumption and costs, and in doing so, to help ensure that more of the Foundation’s resource can go where it matters most, into the communities and programmes that change lives.

"This is what we mean by ‘Invest in Sustainability to Reinvest in Community.’ It is a principle we are proud to put into practice.”

Ciaron Brunning, Foundation of Light Chief Financial Officer added:

“The Beacon of Light is at the heart of Foundation of Light and an important community asset for Sunderland and the wider region. Making sure it operates as efficiently and sustainably as possible is really important to us – both in reducing our environmental impact and ensuring we make the best possible use of our resources.

“Ultimately, every saving we can make on the cost of running the Beacon means more resource can be invested back into our work supporting people and communities across the North East.

“ClearVUE shares our commitment to collaboration and innovation, and we’re delighted to welcome them as both a partner and sponsor. Their expertise will help us better understand how we use energy across the Beacon and identify where we can make meaningful, long-term improvements.

“It’s a partnership that makes sense for us – helping to make the Beacon more sustainable for the future while ensuring the benefits ultimately come back to the communities we’re here to serve.”

A Long-Term Commitment to Sustainability and Community

The ClearVUE and Foundation of Light partnership represents a commitment to long-term, measurable progress. In combining ClearVUE’s energy analytics capability with the Foundation’s ambition to operate sustainably, both organisations aim to demonstrate that investing in efficiency and investing in community are not competing priorities: they are one and the same.

Together, they will work to ensure the Beacon of Light continues to serve as a sustainable hub for the North East, and that the benefits of smarter energy management are felt not only in reduced costs, but in the programmes, opportunities and outcomes that the Foundation of Light delivers every day.