Session overview

What can housing organisations learn from one of the North East’s most innovative community organisations?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.

For our next study visit, we’re heading to Sunderland, in partnership with Foundation of Light, the official charity of Sunderland AFC, to see how it uses the power of football to change lives.

Following our visit to Scunthorpe United FC last year, we’re continuing to explore what happens when housing, sport and community come together.

Football creates identity, belonging and shared experiences. It opens doors to people traditional services can struggle to reach and, with the right partnerships, becomes a platform for tackling inequality, health, education, employment and digital inclusion.

This isn’t simply a visit to a football club. It’s an opportunity to see a different approach in action, meet the people behind the work and explore the many ways football can create connections, opportunities and positive change for communities.

More than that, it’s your chance to get behind the scenes of an organisation built around partnership, purpose, community and impact, and to explore what that could mean for the way we work in housing.

Come for the football. Stay for the learning.

Key takeaways

By attending this study visit, you’ll explore:

• How Foundation of Light has evolved from a football charity into a regional organisation tackling some of the North East’s biggest social challenges
• What makes partnerships work between housing providers, football clubs, charities and community organisations
• How football can engage people and communities that traditional services struggle to reach
• Different approaches to tackling inequality, including the barriers stopping children and young people accessing opportunities
• What innovation looks like in practice, including immersive experiences, digital skills, esports and technology
• How to start with the problem, not the solution, using approaches inspired by Harvard’s Mayor’s Challenge
• How organisations can work across a system rather than trying to solve complex problems alone
• How to demonstrate social value and impact, including social return on investment

There will also be plenty of time to challenge, debate, share ideas and take away the things that could work in your own organisation.

Programme

Wednesday 3rd March 2027

Get behind the scenes

An exclusive tour of Foundation of Light, followed by Sunderland AFC v Manchester United at the Stadium of Light.

You’ll see first-hand the platform Foundation of Light and its partners have built around football, meet fellow DIN members and the people behind the work, and start the conversations that will continue into day two.

Thursday 4th March 2027

Behind the model – 9:30am to approximately 3:00pm

Session one: The Foundation of Light story

The journey from football charity to regional change-maker, including partnerships with housing providers and approaches to social value and return on investment.

We’ll explore the key moments, bold decisions and lessons that have shaped the organisation and continue to influence where it goes next.

Session two: No child left on the sidelines

What happens when five North East sporting brands collaborate to challenge poverty and inequality, and how organisations such as the North East Housing Partnership can work differently to reach those who need it most.

Session three: Innovation spotlight

An interactive session on innovation as finding a better way to solve an old problem, spotlighting Foundation of Light’s work on immersive experiences, digital skills, esports and technology as routes into learning, alongside cross-region partnerships.

Session four: Harvard Principles and Thrive North East

Drawing on Harvard’s Mayor’s Challenge, this session will explore how Thrive North East is helping organisations rethink the way they approach complex problems.

This includes:

• Understanding the problem before designing the solution
• Experimenting and learning rather than trying to get everything right first time
• Building collaboration around shared challenges

Expect plenty of time between sessions to meet other DIN members, share what you’re doing back home and spark a few “We should try that” and “Why don’t we do that?” moments.

Who should attend?

This visit is for DIN members working in housing and beyond with an interest in:

• Community engagement
• Partnership working
• Social value
• Innovation
• Health and wellbeing
• Tackling inequality
• Digital inclusion
• Young people
• Systems thinking
• Collaboration

You do not need to be a football fan. You just need to be interested in doing things differently.

Accommodation

DIN recommends the Hilton Garden Inn as a convenient hotel option close to the venue.

Please note that rooms are available on a first come, first served basis, so we’d recommend booking as early as possible if you’d like to stay there.

Places are limited

We’re deliberately keeping the group small so there is plenty of opportunity to ask questions, get involved and have meaningful conversations with the people behind the work.

There is a maximum of two colleagues per organisation.

Places are available to DIN members as part of your subscription.