WELCOMING THE WORLD TO SUNDERLAND
Football is a huge part of life in Sunderland and we are proud to be a part of the England 2018 World Cup Bid process. This gives us a fantastic opportunity to welcome the world to Sunderland and North East England.
As the largest city in the North East, Sunderland is a vibrant place, full of passionate people who will give a very warm welcome to World Cup players and fans. Both residents and visitors enjoy everything that a modern city can deliver and more, as Sunderland is blessed with an enviable balance of great shops, restaurants and entertainment, contemporary and historical buildings, acres of green spaces and a stunning coastline. All of this is within a few miles of some of the most beautiful countryside in England.
Sunderland AFC, Sunderland City Council and other partners have a long track record of working together, and the city and region have what it takes to be a great World Cup venue. We have certainly got all of the essential facilities that are required, but we can add the enthusiastic support of our people, businesses and civic leaders, and the wider region.
Sunderland Association Football Club
Renowned for the passion of its support and its links with the community, Sunderland AFC exemplifies how a professional club can grow, excel and perform at the highest level, while maintaining excellent relationships with its supporters in the local and wider regional community.
Its extensive community work centres on the SAFC Foundation. This assists more than 20,000 young people and their families each year through innovative educational schemes, using the power of football to engage those most in need. It runs an extensive range of programmes including health, literacy and numeracy, aimed at increasing the lifechances of people throughout the local community.
The Stadium of Light
Widely regarded as one of the best stadia in Europe and home to football in the North East, the 49,000 seater stadium is the spiritual home of Sunderland supporters. It has a proven capacity to deliver top quality sport and events – playing host to England’s crucial World cup qualifier with Turkey in 2003 and welcoming both Take That and Oasis in 2009.
Supported by high quality training venues including the world class ‘Academy of Light’, Sunderland will be a destination of choice for the best footballers in the world.
More than Football
Our city and the surrounding region offer first class accommodation, air, rail, road and sea transport services and proven ability to manage and deliver major international events; the annual Sunderland International Airshow and the International Friendship Festival to name just two. Key agencies in the city are accustomed to working together to plan and deliver top quality major events safely, sustainably and successfully.
Sunderland is working hard to build a 2012 Olympic legacy and we will apply the same effort to ensure that the wider legacy benefits of the FIFA World Cup 2018 are maximised. Local people will be inspired and enthused to get involved, first and foremost in football, but also to drive up levels of wellness and physical activity.
Regeneration
In recent years, our landscape has undergone momentous change, the Stadium of Light and the Sunderland Aquatic Centre being examples of a number of significant developments. These are shining testament to the city putting its money where its mouth is and of what can be achieved through hard work, commitment and partnership – values that Sunderland brings to everything it does.
Sunderland has placed sport and the wider cultural provision at the heart of the process of regeneration. These major developments and the accompanying animation programmes, have catalysed other improvements and programmes such as a project to make the city easier to navigate and participation programmes targeted at children and young people.
A fantastic football celebration
And let’s not forget the event itself. With a population of 280,000 and another two and a half million people on our doorstep, we know how to party!
From our experience of hosting BBC Radio One’s Big Weekend to the recent Take That and Oasis tours, we have the capability and capacity to accommodate, entertain and give a real North East welcome to the teams, the media and of course the fans.
From Herrington Country Park to the Roker and Seaburn seafront, Sunderland has a unique blend of rural, urban and seaside facilities that are ready to welcome the World.
A team effort
Sunderland is a partnership with real depth; the city, the Football Club and the whole community are as one; looking, through football, to welcome the world.
You can pledge your support to England 2018 and Sunderland by backing the bid at:
http://www.england2018bid.com/support/register.aspx