Beacon honoured at Portfolio Awards

The Beacon of Light is on cloud nine after winning its NINTH major award since opening in September 2018.

The £19 million community hub, home to Sunderland AFC’s official charity Foundation of Light, scooped the Social Enterprise gong at the annual Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards.

Former SAFC Chairman and Foundation Chair of Trustees Sir Bob Murray CBE collected the award on behalf of the Beacon at the glittering ceremony which honours the best in business across Wearside.

We are delighted to win the Social Enterprise Award which recognises the positive impact the Beacon of Light is making across Sunderland and beyond.

The Beacon truly is a special place offering something for everyone. We inspire over 6,000 people every week to play sport, learn new skills, gain qualifications and change their lives for the better.

Sir Bob Murray CBE

Winning the Social Enterprise category rounds off an outstanding 2019 which saw the Beacon cemented as one of the best new buildings in the country, welcoming over 200,000 visitors through its doors.

The first of its kind in the UK, the Beacon offers sport, education, employability and health programmes for all ages and abilities.

With a new price structure announced earlier this month, the Beacon offers the best value for money anywhere in the city with all proceeds donated to Foundation of Light to support its award-winning programmes across Sunderland, South Tyneside and Durham.

Awards won:

• Structural Steel Design Awards (SSDA) 2018 – Commendation
• RICS 2019 – Community Benefit (Regional and Grand Final)
• RICS 2019 – Project of the Year
• RIBA 2019 – Regional Award
• RIBA 2019 – Great British Buildings
• North of England 2019 LABC Regional Building Excellence Awards – Best Educational Building
• Institute of Northern Counties Regional Award 2019 – Best Large Project
• Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards 2019 – Social Enterprise

Shortlisted awards:

• Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards 2018 – Leisure Category
• North East Business Awards 2019 – Tourism and Hospitality Award
  RICS 2019 – Tourism and Leisure
• North East Charity Awards 2019 – Social Enterprise Category

*Photograph courtesy of the Sunderland Echo and www.sunderlandecho.com.