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
Kye's Kick Off / May 9th, 2025
Carl Mowatt - South Shields FC
Thank you to Carl Mowatt for supporting Kye’s Kick-Off and allowing us to host the event at South Shields FC’s 1st Cloud Arena.
Self-Belief and Emotional Wellbeing / January 11th, 2022
Relationships and Sex Education / January 11th, 2022
Dealing With Anxiety
At aged 11, my son suffered a breakdown of mental health, and was off school for pretty much 4 years. He has never spoken about what he has been through these last few years openly, but yesterday wrote a blog and presented me with his account, and wanted it shared. This is his story.
Consett Heritage Project / December 4th, 2023
Sarah Envy - Consett Heritage Podcast
Sarah is Engagement Manager for The National Lottery Heritage Fund North. Until her involvement in our Consett Heritage Project, she was unaware that this area had such a significant industrial past, and that Consett steel was used in the construction of the Eiffel Tower! From photographs she has seen of the old Consett Ironworks, she now realises that you would have been able to see rows of machinery just over the horizon from the Reservoir, peeking over the ridge of the dam. She believes that we need to continue to provide opportunities to access such a significant part of Consett's heritage. She is particularly excited about the latest Heritage initiative that will truly put Co Durham on the cultural and heritage map!