Christ’s College in Pennywell, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, officially opened a new £1.6 million restaurant facility named The Lighthouse in March 2026. This new building serves as a modern dining hall for students during the day and a venue for the wider community to use during evenings and weekends.
The facility includes a professional kitchen and seating for over 800 students across three lunch sittings. Local organisations such as Northern Star Theatre Arts and Riverlife Church are already using the space for their own activities and meetings.
A large copper plaque was unveiled at the site to mark the opening, which was created by students working with local artist Ron Lawson. The artwork was made using a traditional hammering method, known as repousse, that involved more than one million strikes to finish the piece.
The Emmanuel Schools Foundation helped deliver the project to provide better facilities for the neighbourhood. The building also includes accessible toilets and a modern serving area for all visitors to use.
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