Black Cats players get creative at Beacon of Light

Sunderland AFC players Mason Burstow and Jewison Bennette joined learners from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School at the Beacon of Light to take part in our ‘Design a Ball’ competition.

Foundation of Light has teamed up with Alive and Kicking to give supporters a unique opportunity to design a football that will be used for the half-time activities during Foundation Matchday at the Stadium of Light.

The winning design will be produced and available to buy from the Beacon of Light shop with proceeds supporting the Foundation of Light and Alive and Kicking.

The Sunderland primary school students took part in a workshop, learning about the environment and how to live more sustainably.

They then started work on their designs for the competition with the SAFC stars on hand to talk to the participants about their ideas and put their own design skills to the test.

“I always enjoy coming down to the Beacon and seeing the kids having a good time," commented Mason Burstow.

"Today has been good, getting to do something different in the classroom, and I can't wait to see what the final designs look like."

Alive and Kicking is the world’s only not for profit football manufacturer. They champion sustainability using the lifecycle of a football, producing balls that last up to eight times longer than a standard synthetic ball.

They are known for creating ethical jobs for adults facing disadvantage and they use their profits made from selling footballs to ensure young people have free and safe access to the game and mental health education.

Our ‘Design a Ball’ competition closes on Friday 22^nd December. For more on the competition and how to enter: Click Here