Heart on your Sleeve footballs now in stock

Our Heart on your Sleeve footballs designed by a young Sunderland supporter are now available to buy from the Beacon of Light reception.

In December, Foundation of Light brought supporters the chance to design the football that would be used for half-time activities during Foundation of Light Day, in a collaboration with Alive and Kicking.

Alive and Kicking is the world’s only not for profit football manufacturer. They are known for creating ethical jobs for adults facing disadvantage where employees with no formal work experience or education have access to benefits that are often taken for granted, including a fair wage, health care and a pension scheme.

Using profits made from selling footballs, Alive and Kicking then ensure young people have free and safe access to football and mental health education.

Their footballs are proven to last up to eight times longer than a standard synthetic ball and 10 years of research has shown that each donated ball reaches 45 young people.

Following a public vote, the winning design was the work of 11-year-old Adrian Britton, featuring Foundation of Light’s ‘Heart on your Sleeve’ logo alongside a Black Cat’s eyes illustration.

Adrian, a Stadium of Light season ticket holder of two years, found inspiration for his design while attending matches.

"It's nice to see my design finally made into a real ball," he commented.

"I saw the Passion, Pride, Wearside flag at the match and I really liked the Black Cat eyes at the end of last season."

The balls are priced at £20 each and available from the Beacon of Light reception or you can buy online to collect from the Beacon. Proceeds will be split between Foundation of Light and Alive and Kicking, supporting the work of both charities.