University celebrates Sunderland’s new footbridge

Published on 17, October, 2025

Staff and students from across the University of Sunderland joined the celebrations for the opening of the city’s new footbridge.

Keel Crossing, which connects the former Vaux site to Sheepfolds and the Stadium of Light, officially opened ahead of the Sunderland AFC vs Wolves match on Saturday (October 18).

Staff and students from the University joined the party which took place in Keel Square.

Team Sunderland, the University’s sports student service, hosted a range of sports activities for the public as well as short coaching sessions delivered by Team Sunderland coaches.

Team Sunderland Sport Performance and Activity Development Manager Sean Percival said: “It’s an incredibly exciting day for the city and we’re proud to be supporting this event with activity provided by our students and staff."

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Paramedic students also be took part in the festivities, offering free CPR training as part of the Restart a Heart project.

Restart a Heart aims to increase the number of people surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by learning what to do in these events and learn CPR.

Mark Willis, Associate Head of School for Nursing and Health Studies (Paramedic Practice Team) at the University, said: “Learning CPR and early defibrillation can significantly help survival rates, and paramedic students from the University were available to train anyone who came along."