PHAR Insight has been appointed by the Foundation of Light – the registered charity of Sunderland Football Club – to analyse the opportunity for sponsorship for the proposed new Beacon of Light facility.
PHAR Insight has been appointed by the Foundation of Light – the registered charity of Sunderland Football Club – to analyse the opportunity for sponsorship for the proposed new Beacon of Light facility.
The Beacon of Light will be vibrant and exciting education and sports facility and will use the power of football to inspire people and change lives. It will help people gain skills and qualifications, work with families and re-energise communities.
The unique centre will be the first of its kind in the UK and include engaging and interactive zones in education; health and fitness; sport and play; and the world of work and will welcome hundreds of thousands of children, young people and adults through its doors every year.
Due to open its doors in 2017, the Beacon of Light will be a three-storey flagship development situated adjacent to the Stadium of Light. Its aim is to provide an exciting and inspiring education, training and sports facility for the community of Sunderland and wider northeast region.
Chair of Trustees of the Foundation of Light Sir Bob Murray, commented: “The Foundation of Light already uses the power of football to involve, educate and inspire more than 42,000 young people and their families each year through a broad range of innovative and award-winning programmes. The Beacon of Light will help us extend our reach and expand our pioneering programmes to reach an even bigger audience.”
Lesley Spuhler, CEO of the Foundation of Light, added: “The Beacon of Light will be a flagship development, designed to positively promote education, well-being and sport and inspire local people to achieve more. Working with brand partners will be an integral part of its success, and so we have been keen to understand what the opportunity is worth as a commercial sponsorship asset, and how it could best be structured to create partnerships that deliver real value to both parties. We are already involved in active discussions with a number of partners and PHAR Insight’s work has been invaluable in analysing the value of the opportunity and creating a framework for achieving the potential.”
Alastair Macdonald, Director of PHAR Insight, said: “Seeing at first hand the difference that the Foundation of Light’s work makes to people’s lives is genuinely inspiring and humbling. The Beacon of Light will not only be a hugely important new community asset but is also, in its own right, a genuinely valuable sponsorship opportunity, offering a strong range of valuable marketing benefits. Our analysis has revealed how a number of genuinely attractive partnerships may be structured, enabling brands to make a real contribution to the North East community and realise some real marketing value.”
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Notes to Editors
The Foundation of Light is the registered charity of Sunderland AFC, established in 2001 by former club Chairman Sir Bob Murray CBE.
The organisation is committed and pro-active in addressing the issues within its community, running programmes at specially designed classrooms within the Stadium of Light, in local schools, community centres and at bespoke outreach centres throughout Sunderland, South Tyneside and County Durham.
It’s passionate, dedicated and highly skilled team includes more than 100 professional teachers, health workers, football coaches, family learning officers, youth workers and support staff. This means a very diverse range of talent, skills and experience, all united in a common passion, enthusiasm and drive to make a difference.
PHAR Insight is the specialist research, analysis and strategy division of media, marketing and sponsorship consultancy PHAR. Headed up by industry expert Alastair Macdonald, PHAR Insight’s team has specialised in sponsorship analysis and strategy since 1999, working with clients such as the Premier League, Football Association, Chelsea FC, Lawn Tennis Association, Volvo Ocean Race, Olympic Park Legacy Company, Mercedes GP, O2, Zurich, Lucozade and Nokia. In collaboration with Mediacom, PHAR Insight has recently developed a new set of industry-leading proprietary sponsorship selection and evaluation tools, providing brands and rights owners with a new level of credibility and insight into the fit, value and impact generated from sponsorship investments.
PHAR is a specialist media, marketing and sponsorship consultancy. Following its launch in 2011 PHAR now employs over 60 people in UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India and Middle East. PHAR’s Chairman is Tony Fernandes, the founder of AirAsia and owner of Queens Park Rangers. The purpose of PHAR is to deliver long-term commercial value to its clients, encompassing brands, rights holders and talent. PHAR does this by creating media and marketing opportunities that engage with consumers with a focus on research, analysis and creativity. PHAR’s clients include Samsung, Ricoh, FOREX.com, Transport for London, Transport for Greater Manchester, The Eden Project, Liverpool Arena, David Lloyd Leisure, AirAsia, SP Setia, Expedia, Iain Percy, Christine Ohuruogu and Lynsey Sharp.
For any queries please contact Alastair Macdonald at PHAR – alastair.macdonald@pharpartnerships.com,
Tel : 020 7321 5804
Mob : 07977 453 451
Address: 9 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2DD