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
Consett Heritage Project / October 20th, 2023
Voices of Consett - Ian Malpass
Ian Malpass, born and bred in Consett, tells us about his time at 'The Works', how it felt when the steelworks closed, and how his family worked and managed after the closure. A great insight into the true spirit of Consett folk.
Consett Heritage Project / August 30th, 2023
Voices of Consett - Mick
Mick is 86, with a long family history in Consett. All of his family bar one lives in Consett, Blackhill and Leadgate and he has lots of grandchildren living in Consett too. His family background in Consett goes back years and years!
Youth Social Action / July 17th, 2025
Aspirations and Future Planning / July 17th, 2025
The National Astronomy Meeting with Moorside Primary Academy
As part of our Youth Employability and Aspirations Programme with Moorside Primary, the children were specially invited to the National Astronomy Meeting (NAM) at Durham University! The NAM brought together nearly 1,000 astronomers from across the UK to share the latest research about the Universe. We even made the local news!