Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Beacon of Light and loved learning about the history and heritage of Sunderland Association Football Club (SAFC) as well as their grounds, The Stadium of Light, which stands on the site of the former Wearmouth Colliery. The children participated in a range of activities including sports, the history of the Sunderland football badge and its design, mining in the local area and its links to SAFC as well as a tour of the main sculptures and monuments around the Stadium of Light and their links to local history.
The group even got to meet Alfie Joey, a local celebrity, who you may have seen on Britain's Got Talent or heard on BBC Radio Newcastle. Alfie shared his life experiences of growing up in a pit village with the group before showing them the children's books he has produced which were inspired by his family's coal mining background. Year 5 learnt local pitmatic (traditional Northern English dialects) that are used in mining communities. All the class had left to say at the end of the day was that their trip was more than 'canny good', it was 'champion!'