City fireworks display returns after eight years

The event will raise money for a charity which helps babies, children and adults with complex heart conditions

A city's fireworks display which used to attract up to 4000 visitors is being held again for the first time in eight years.

Ashbrooke Sports Club in Sunderland has resurrected the event in partnership with the charity Red Sky Foundation which helps babies, children and adults with complex heart problems.

The venue, which has struggled financially in recent years, says it wants to take a new direction and be used more by charities and community groups.

Spokesman Ben Robinson said: "Bringing back our fireworks display but using it to raise money for a worthwhile charity is very much part of that new vision."

The club was founded in 1887 and has hosted national sports events

The annual fireworks display at Ashbrooke Sports Club, an independent organisation with 500 members, was once the biggest of its kind in Sunderland but competition from other events meant it ended in 2016.

"We are such a proud part of Sunderland's heritage," Mr Robinson said.

"But we have struggled financially after Covid and people have got out of the habit of using the club.

"So we were delighted when the charity approached us [about] bringing the event back to the site again."

The ticket sales will help Red Sky Foundation buy defibrillators for local communities, invests in heart transplant machinery, and offer counselling and financial support for families.

The event is already sold out which Mr Robinson says is "wonderful news".

"The charity has committed to holding it for 5 years and it just shows there is an appetite for it even when a lot of people are struggling financially," he added.

Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].