Foundation of Light
Services
Brand identity, photography, internal communications, media relations
Impact
- Brand evolution
- Brand strategy
- Raise visibility of service
- Renewed sense of purpose
Story
As the official charity of Sunderland AFC, Foundation of Light already held a strong association with the football club and the city itself. However, the organisation had grown far beyond its origins in sport.
Our approach centred around a simple but powerful idea: light as a symbol of progress, possibility, and connection.
Inspired by both the Stadium of Light and the Foundation’s role within the community, we developed a bold identity system designed to feel energetic, accessible, and optimistic. Dynamic graphic forms, confident typography, and an uplifting visual language helped position the Foundation as a modern organisation focused on unlocking potential and creating opportunity.
The identity was designed to work both alongside Sunderland AFC and independently from it strengthening the relationship with the club while allowing the Foundation to establish its own distinct voice.
The new brand was rolled out across environments, communications, campaigns, digital platforms, uniforms, and community touchpoints, creating a more consistent and recognisable presence across the region.
The rebrand helped reposition Foundation of Light as more than a football charity establishing it as a leading community organisation at the centre of Sunderland’s future.
By creating a clearer and more confident identity, the Foundation was able to increase its visibility across the region, strengthen engagement with communities and partners, and communicate the scale of its ambition more effectively.
As the organisation continued to grow, the new brand provided a platform capable of supporting that expansion helping Foundation of Light reach more people, deliver greater impact, and connect more communities to opportunity.
The evolution of the organisation was further reflected in its move to the Beacon of Light — a purpose-built, state-of-the-art community and sports facility situated alongside Sunderland AFC. The new environment became a physical expression of the Foundation’s ambition: a visible and accessible hub for education, wellbeing, sport, and social connection at the heart of the city.
Together, the new identity and the Beacon of Light established a stronger, more recognisable presence for the Foundation — one that reflected both the scale of its work and the optimism of Sunderland’s future.
