SAFC Beacon of Light offers new sports hub for students

The University of Sunderland has teamed up with the Beacon of Light to create a sports hub for students.

The new partnership helps the university’s student community with easy access to high quality sports provision wherever in Sunderland they live, play or study.

The partnership boosts the uni’s sports by giving all students access to the wide range of activities at the Beacon, home of Sunderland AFC's charitable arm the Foundation of Light.

The partnership adds to the university’s current sports provision, based around CitySpace at the the City Campus on Chester Road.

The first phases of the partnership have seen the university’s futsal, American football, netball and basketball clubs using the Beacon. An expansion is to offer a wider range of facilities to students, including badminton and table tennis.

Students will also be able to use the different spaces available throughout the Beacon of Light, including the indoor arena, rooftop 4g pitch, classrooms, e-sports facilities World of Work Zones and café.

In the coming months the partnership will further develop to benefit programmes, hosted by the University of Sunderland and run in the Beacon.

The Beacon of Light first opened its doors in 2018 and was the first community hub of its kind, providing opportunities for all ages and abilities and a space for sport, events, education and wellbeing.

Foundation of Light chair of trustees Sir Bob Murray said said: “We’re really looking forward to working with the University of Sunderland.

"Through collaborating together, we’re opening up further opportunities for young people, as we look to share our resources to engage students and help them achieve their ambitions.”

Sir David Bell, vice-chancellor and chief executive of the University of Sunderland, said: “It is important that in addition to world class education, our students have access to a full range of opportunities to enhance their student experience with us.

“Playing sport and adopting a healthy lifestyle can be a big part of this and I am delighted that our new partnership with the Beacon of Light will not only enable our elite teams to practise and train for longer, but also offer an increased range of non-competitive sporting opportunities for all students.”

*Bob Murray's autobiography, I'd Do It All Again is on sale now. All proceeds to Foundation of Light.