Beacon open to light up lives

First published in Red & White (Sunderland AFC v Charlton Athletic). Sunderland's newest sports, health, education and events venue has already started changing lives since opening its doors to the public in late spring. Now Foundation of Light, who own and run the Beacon of Light, are ramping up for a full complement of activity to start from September. In June the charity started taking bookings for public use of the Beacon's 3G outdoor pitches and state-of-the-art indoor 4G football barn and sports arena for badminton, basketball and futsal use – hosting the North East's first futsal tournament in partnership with Sunderland Futsal Club. The Beacon has also supported local schools through a range of activities including a World Cup-themed 5-a-side tournament and a ‘Dragon’s Den’-style business event attended by almost 300 youngsters. Families from 30 primary schools were also welcomed to the Beacon for a special graduation ceremony to celebrate their completion of the Foundation's Family Learning programme. Local communities are also benefitting from the state-of-the-art facility with various education and employability courses delivered to families and adults.

We have had an amazing reaction since we opened our doors to the public with thousands of young people, adults and families enjoying the world-class facilities. From September the Beacon will be fully operational, hosting a comprehensive range of sports and educational activities for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Phil King, Beacon of Light General Manager

Showcasing the Beacon as a truly multi-use venue, the next generation of engineers will be inspired at the Bring It On! event in October, welcoming over 1,000 secondary school pupils, following the North East Automotive Expo, the region's only automotive exhibition a few weeks earlier. On the pitch, local businesses including Gentoo and More Than will compete in the Beacon's first Corporate Tournament. The Beacon of Light School is also set to complete its move from the Stadium of Light in time for the next academic year, providing even more youngsters with opportunities to improve their futures.