Tombola backs Beacon

Europe’s leading online gaming company is backing the Beacon of Light to help more people from the region to learn more and do more to improve their lives through sport and education.

tombola has made a significant donation of £500,000 to the building of the Beacon of Light, which is due to open in Sunderland in 2018.

The striking cube-shaped development, which will be illuminated at night, will include education and training facilities with an indoor football pitch above.

When they enter the £18m Beacon, visitors will be presented with a busy street along which various education and sports activities will interconnect.

Sir Bob Murray CBE said: “The Beacon of Light will be a first and deliver a unique environment for education, sport, health/well-being and the world of work but it would not be possible without the support of successful and socially responsible companies like tombola.

“tombola is the leading online bingo company in Europe, one of the biggest employers in Sunderland and a huge home-grown tech success story - and remains committed to investing in the region and making a difference to local people. It is a socially responsible company with an exciting future.

“I am personally delighted to be continuing and strengthening our relationship with Phil Cronin who is an outstanding businessman and entrepreneur. He comes from a long-established and distinguished Sunderland family and is fiercely proud and supportive of his home city.”

“We are enormously grateful to tombola and Phil (Cronin) for sharing our vision for education and social care and for their commitment to helping us support more people in the North East.”

Founder and CEO of tombola, Phil Cronin, added: " The Foundation of Light has an enviable track record in delivering pioneering education and sport programmes across the region and I’ve always been inspired and impressed by the work they do in the region.

The powerful mix of sport, health and wellbeing, alongside education and training makes the Beacon a unique proposition, so I’m delighted we’re backing the Foundation to make a meaningful difference to even more people’s lives in the future.

“It’s a really exciting time for tombola and the Beacon as we are both ambitious to do grow and expand - and will both open landmark new head offices close to one another in 2018.”

Construction on tombola’s landmark new £6m HQ at Wylam Wharf, started in March and the company is planning to expand its software development workforce in Sunderland by a further 80 people.

Work on the £18m Beacon, which is located next to the Stadium of Light, began in October 2016 and is expected to be completed by early 2018. The donation of £0.5m from tombola towards the capital cost of the Beacon will be used in phase 1 of the construction.

Founded in 2000, tombola.co.uk is the largest bingo site in the UK, with more players than any other company. The company is also the leading online bingo company in Spain and Italy with offices in Milan, Madrid and Gibraltar – and has plans to expand into further new international territories in the near future.

The company develops and produces original bingo software and games, created by an in-house development team and is one of the largest employers of game and web developers in the North East of England.

The award-winning Foundation of Light was established in 2001 and uses the power of football to educate, inspire and motivate. One of the largest and leading sports charities in the UK, it has an excellent track record of working with children, young people and their families.