Ellie's Celebration of Stanley
I never knew there was so much history in Stanley. I always thought it was just a random, boring town that had always been here. I did know a bit about the mining history because I live in Quaking Houses, which used to be a mining village. But, I had no idea about Stanley’s involvement in the FA Cup or anything like that. Learning all of this made me realise that Stanley actually has a rich and interesting past.
Right now, though, Stanley feels boring. It seemed like it had more spirit back then, and now people just think of it as a rough area. For the future, I’d like that to change. I think we need to bring back that sense of community that used to exist. We could do that by organising festivals, events, and things that bring people together.
“It’s a shame there’s no football ground or community space where people can go to enjoy themselves. Having something like that could really help rebuild community spirit and give people a reason to feel proud of Stanley again.”
- Ellie McGuire
Celebrating Stanley / December 16th, 2025
"Queen for a Day" Poem - South Stanley Junior School
This poem was created by Savannah, William, Kyden and Kiera. They were inspired by a photograph from the Stanley Festival of Queens in 1960.
Wellbeing and the Arts / November 20th, 2025
Durham Lumiere 2025
We had a fabulous evening at Durham Lumiere, thank you for the generous donation of the tickets. It was great to see Durham city looking so fabulous. Thank you to Point North.
Self-Belief and Emotional Wellbeing / August 22nd, 2022
The Meadow Well Teenage | Community Links & Aspirations Programme
Building Self-Belief CIO delivered a twelve-week programme for ten Year 9 girls, selected by the Head of Year, at Norham High School. Our Wellbeing Programme has helped the girls learn how to build better friendships, have a better understanding of how others are feeling and become integral members of the local Meadow Well Community.