Kyle's Celebration of Stanley
I’ve learned about the West Stanley Pit disaster, including how many people were killed and what the witnesses said about it. I can’t imagine working in the mines—it was dark, cramped, and claustrophobic. I also found out that the person who made the first film for Universal Studios was actually from Stanley, which is something I’d never heard before.
I don’t think we celebrate Stanley’s history enough—nobody really talks about it, and that’s a shame.
It also feels like not many people in Stanley get along. I think we could improve that by having more community events that bring people together. Right now, there’s no football stadium, no cinema, and no local teams. We could really improve the town by using spaces like the site where the old school is being knocked down. Instead of just leaving it empty, we should rebuild and make the area somewhere people actually want to be. It would make a big difference to the way people feel about Stanley.
“We could really improve the town by using spaces like the site where the old school is being knocked down.”
- Kyle Shields
Benfieldside Community Garden / June 19th, 2025
Mayors Opportunity Fund - Green Hands Together
With help from the Mayor's Opportunity Fund, they have helped us transform Benfieldside Community Garden from derelict land. Their support has made a huge difference and we have enlisted young people to the Green Hands Together project to work on the garden, creating a flourishing community space. It has brought everybody together.
Youth Social Action / September 1st, 2025
Celebrating Stanley / September 1st, 2025
Alecia's Celebration of Stanley
Alecia tells us about discovering Stanley's past and suggestions for Stanley's future.
Celebrating Stanley / December 16th, 2025
Digital Inclusion / December 16th, 2025
June's Celebration of Stanley
June has lived in Stanley for 50 years and brought up in a mining village. Listen to her Celebrating Stanley podcast here as she shares her fondest memories of the town.