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
Employability / December 20th, 2022
Christmas Roundup 2022
What a year it has been for Building Self-Belief – it is such a relief that we are finally getting back to normal after the ongoing uncertainly linked to the Covid restrictions. Now we are back in full flow, we have exciting times ahead.
Heritage / February 7th, 2025
Playing in the Red Dust - Moorside Primary School
This poem was created by Corben, Roxi, Lacey, Oscar, Leandra, and Millie from Moorside Primary School. It reflects their take on the red dust that once covered Consett — the cloud of iron oxide emitted during the Steelworks’ production because of this red clouds of dust would hang over the town, settling on cars and clothes hung out to dry, a sight captured in many photos of Consett from that time.
Wellbeing / August 3rd, 2026
Employability / August 3rd, 2026
The Importance of Work Based Learning - Serena
Serena is our latest intern from the University of Sunderland. As part of their final year in their Psychology degree, students get a work placement option. I asked Serena if I could share her thank you message, as I feel it gives a brilliant insight into how important work placements are, alongside academic work.