Sir Keir Starmer visits the Beacon

The Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer was full of praise for the Foundation of Light and the charity’s home, the Beacon, on a recent visit to Sunderland.

Sir Keir took the time to meet with staff and young people as part of the Labour party's 'Security Prosperity Respect' tour.

Sir Keir spoke to youngsters on the Foundation’s YOLO programme - funded by Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner’s Violence Reduction Unit - which provides targeted youth work, engagement and one-to-one mentoring for children aged eight to 16. The programme uses positive intervention with the aim to keep children away from a life of crime.

The Labour leader spent time with the young people in the Beacon of Light's kitchen and engineering zones which are used by those on the YOLO programme, as well adults gaining experience and skills to prepare them for work. The charity’s football scholars also chatted to Sir Keir about their development on and off the field.

Sir Keir said “The Beacon of Light is an amazing project which is giving young people the security and confidence they might not otherwise have.

“The Foundation of Light is doing a fantastic job. The level of expertise and support is really impressive and I’ve spoken with the young people and I can see the impact it’s having on them.

"I know from my time working in the Criminal Justice System that there aren’t many opportunities for young people to get the skills and confidence to get on and avoid a life of going off the rails and being sucked into crime.”

Sir Keir was joined on the visit by Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness who spoke about the work taking place to provide security for young people and the communities she represents.

Ms McGuinness welcomed Sir Keir's visit to Sunderland and said praised the work of the Foundation, "As shown today, the work the Foundation of Light do alongside my Violence Reduction Unit and Northumbria Police is exactly what young people want and need – a safe space where they can learn and develop life skills, engage with dedicated mentors and be steered away from crime related influences.

“The Beacon’s such a fantastic facility which is at the heart of the local community. We’ve worked a lot with the Beacon on the prevention of crime through engaging young people and making sure they’ve access to good opportunities, whether that be sport, learning or just simply getting involved with this great facility.

Lesley Spuhler OBE DL, chief executive of the Foundation, was delighted that Sir Keir took the time to visit and learn about its vital work.

"He was really impressed with the children and interested in their stories and what they were doing," she said.

"He was chatting to them when they were cooking and in the engineering zone in particular. He was great and very personable. We were absolutely delighted to welcome him and show him just some of the work we are doing in our communities across Sunderland, South Tyneside and County Durham to help people to live happier and healthier lives.”