Beacon fundraising exceeds £10m
Foundation of Light has announced fundraising for the iconic Beacon of Light has topped £10m.
The striking cube-shaped Beacon of Light will be the first building of its kind in the UK and house education and training facilities on the ground floor with an indoor football pitch above.
When they enter the building, users will be presented with a busy street along which the various activities will interconnect. Inspirational zones for education, the world of work, health and wellbeing, sport and play will combine with excellent views into the sports arena.
We started fundraising with an ambitious £15m target to deliver in a tough climate.
We are delighted to have reached the £10m milestone with pledges from generous benefactors, leading Trusts and commitments from the private sector and have a number of exciting sponsorship and benefactor announcements to make in the coming weeks.
We still have over £5m to raise but are very confident that with the increasing interest from potential commercial partners and funding bodies alike that we will reach our target to make the Beacon a reality for the region.
Margaret Fay CBE, Deputy Chair of the Beacon Fundraising Board
The Beacon of Light will provide a vibrant and feel-good environment where people can meet socially; where they can learn and take part in courses to gain skills and qualifications; and where their fascination and love of football and sport will inspire them on a journey to make choices to improve their lives. The Beacon is expected to welcome over 300,000 people through its doors every year.
Chair of Trustees of the Foundation, Sir Bob Murray CBE added: “The Beacon of Light will be a first, and I have no doubt it will become a building with a very big reputation.”
It is great to see our vision to fuse sport, education, the world of work and health and well-being is now exciting so many people in sport and education as well as potential partners.
“The building has been designed by leading architects FaulknerBrowns and will epitomise the pioneering work of the Foundation in the northeast and beyond.”
The award winning Foundation of Light was established in 2001 and uses the power of football to involve, educate and inspire. One of the largest and leading sports charities in the UK, it has an excellent track record of working with 40,000 course registrants every year.
Structurally and financially independent of Sunderland Association Football Club, the Foundation has been the architect of its own success raising over £3 million every year to deliver life changing and pioneering programmes across the region.
