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
Know Your Neighbourhood Project / January 13th, 2025
Benfieldside Community Garden / January 13th, 2025
RHS School Gardening Awards Levels 1 & 2
We are proud to share that we have achieved both Level 1 and Level 2 of the RHS Campaign for School Gardening Awards for our work renovating Benfieldside Community Garden! We have received a variety of seeds to plant in the garden, a growing calendar and certificates. Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers who help to make this happen! Next step- Level 3!
Celebrating Stanley / December 16th, 2025
Digital Inclusion / December 16th, 2025
Kristy's Celebration of Stanley
Listen below to Kristy Smith's Celebrating Stanley Podcast as she shares her background of working in Stanley and her fond memories.
Youth Social Action / June 14th, 2022
Aspirations and Future Planning / June 14th, 2022
Exercise, Health and Nutrition / June 14th, 2022
Together For Our Planet Garden Transformation
In collaboration with local businesses and individuals we were able to transform Consett Academy's community garden. Our transformation project at Consett Academy helped our young people develop better connections with their peers, their communities and gave them a way of improving their own and other people’s lives for the better.