Sunderland AFC stars Bradly Dack and Nectar Triantis join supporters for a day of family fun at the Beacon of Light

SAFC stars Bradley Dack and Nectar Triantis joined thousands of fans for a Family Fun Day at the Beacon of Light.

The new summer signings were joined by Black Cats female players Amy Goddard, Ellen Jones, Natasha Fenton and Jenna Dear as they met around 5,000 supporters at the annual Foundation of Light event.

The players were shown around the community hub and had the opportunity to join in various activities, including Esports gaming, biscuit decorating, UV dancing, badminton, table tennis – and of course football.  

Bradley and Nectar even rekindled this summer’s Ashes rivalry with a game of spot cricket on the Beacon’s outdoor pitches.

There was also time for both the mens and womens players to sign autographs and pose for photographs with the excited children.

Bradley was experiencing a Beacon of Light event for the first time after leaving  Blackburn Rovers at the end of last season.

He said: “It has been great. I’ve decorated biscuits and the kids didn’t hold back with the penalties in the shoot out, but I’ve been made to feel really welcome.

“It’s great for the people of Sunderland to have access to such a facility, I wish there were such things when I was growing up. There’s something for everyone here.”

Nectar, who has moved to the club from Australia, added: “The energy the kids have is amazing and the Beacon of Light is a fabulous venue with so much to offer.”

As well as bringing families together for some free summer holiday fun, the event was also a chance to showcase the Beacon of Light, home of Sunderland AFC’s official charity, the Foundation of Light.  

The Beacon is open seven days a week and offers five-a-side football, a 4G rooftop pitch, an indoor arena that can be booked for table tennis, basketball, badminton, netball and multi-use games areas.  

All the money from Beacon of Light bookings goes straight to the Foundation of Light, to support families across the North East by tackling some of the region's biggest challenges including obesity, unemployment, anti-social behaviour and poor mental health.