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Phil Parkinson, Charlie Wyke, Denver Hume, Lee Burge and Tom Flanagan were all present at the Beacon of Light - the Foundation’s innovative community hub - to support their work towards the EFL Day of Action.

The EFL Day of Action is a yearly event held to showcase the very best of work done by clubs and their charitable arms to tackle a diverse range of social issues, from homelessness and mental health, to community cohesion and the battle against plastic pollution.

Up and down the country, managers and players from the EFL’s 72 Clubs attended events to pay special visits to participants and turn their hand to some of the activities taking place throughout the day.

Sunderland AFC striker Charlie Wyke baking a cake with support from Debbie Dunne and her granddaughter Charlie D Kennedy during the EFL Day of Action held at the Beacon of Light

And Sunderland’s players and manager were able to sample a wide range of activities laid on by the Foundation of Light as they showcased the fine work they do within the Beacon of Light.

Wyke, Flanagan, Hume and Burge were able to join in a cooking demonstration in the centre’s Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food Kitchen, while they also headed to the Nissan Zone and watched as a new car was assembled and sprayed.

They were also able to take part in multi-sport sessions with primary school pupils, while the first-team stars also accompanied Parkinson in the Extra Time Hub - joining a group of over 55s in a game of curling, table tennis or a boxing session.

Parkinson was also on hand to speak to a group of football scholars from the Foundation of Light’s scholarship scheme, and the Sunderland boss was more than pleased to lend his support to the day.

Sunderland AFC Manager Phil Parkinson playing carpet bowls with (left to right) Keith Wilkinson, Dave Davison and John Heppell during the EFL Day of Action held at the Beacon of Light.

“It’s really enjoyable to be here,” said Parkinson.

“It’s a fantastic facility that the city of Sunderland has got. To come here and see how it’s used is brilliant.

“It’s great for the community and the football pitch on the roof is unique - I’ve never seen one like it and it’s great to see it being well-used.

“I think Sunderland, more than any other club I’ve been at, is at the heart of the community,” he continued.

Sunderland AFC defender Tom Flanagan receives a blow to the chin from Mary Eggleston during the EFL Day of Action held at the Beacon of Light.

“The club is important to everyone in the city, hence the building of this fantastic facility.

“As a manager, it’s important me and the players get out and meet people in the community.

“It’s great to talk to people about the benefits to the community of the building here, and the activities available to them and how much they look forward to coming here on a Wednesday.”

The players, too, were left impressed by the fine work done by the foundation.

Sunderland AFC defender Denver Hume enjoying a game of table tennis with Jenny Plunkett during the EFL Day of Action held at the Beacon of Light.

“It's nice to get away from the football side, meet new people and enjoy the activities,” said striker Wyke.

“I'm not very good in the kitchen, so it's nice to learn a few new things.

“I think a lot of the clubs I've been to, the community is massive.

“It's very important here, we've had a good day and it's been good to get involved in a lot of the activities.”

Academy graduate Denver Hume added: “It’s really good.

“You hear behind the scenes what goes on but to come in and actually see is really good to get in amongst it, and see how much work actually gets put into it.

Sunderland AFC goalkeeper Lee Burge poses for a photograph before baking cakes with children during the EFL Day of Action held at the Beacon of Light.

“You see how much it affects people. We’ve got all different ages here, people from different parts. So it’s really good just to see how much benefit that has on people in their lives.

“It’s a breath of fresh air really to see how positive everyone is here. And to see all the work that goes on how hard people work to kind of put a smile on people’s faces so it’s been good.”

Tom Flanagan echoed his views, saying: “It’s really good. It’s nice to come to a facility like this and be a part of it.

“It’s nice when you walk into a room and the kids are excited to see you and it’s something they can tell their friends at school.

“The facility is just so good. I mean, I’ve gone from being on the football pitch to in a kitchen, to looking at someone spraying a car all in one building. So it really is brilliant.

“There’s not always that much of a positive vibe around the football club, with one thing or another and to come here and when people are seeing what the football club is helping them achieve, it’s nice that they recognise that it’s the football club that’s helping them.“

And stopper Lee Burge added: “It's great. It's the first time I've been here and it's an unbelievable facility. It's great to see what they're doing for the community.

“As a kid, I would have loved to have somewhere like this to come to. You can play here, learn practical skills for when you leave school and it's great to be a part of it.”

Over the last 12 months, the Foundation of Light have delivered 41,473 sessions, encompassing nearly 395,000 hours of contact time.

The Black Cats’ official charity deliver over 40 programmes that address issues such as health and wellbeing, education, sport and employment - and have supported 174 volunteers over the last year.

You can find out more about the Foundation of Light at foundationoflight.co.uk.

Phil Parkinson and Sunderland AFC stars support the Foundation of Light as part of the EFL Day of Action