Christmas has arrived in style in Stanley, with thousands of local residents of all ages heading to the Front Street for the Christmas light switch-on and a community-led Christmas market.
Organised by Stanley Town Council, with support from Karbon Homes, Durham County Council and North East Combined Authority (NECA), the Front Street was alive with various entertainment acts and activities, from street theatre to community choirs, a host of street food vendors and an ice rink.
Margie Stewart-Piercy, Chief Officer of Stanley Town Council, said: “We were delighted to see such a strong community turnout for our Christmas festivities, our collaboration with Karbon Homes and Durham County Council has enabled us to significantly enhance this year’s Christmas programme. The enthusiastic response from residents, even in the cold weather, demonstrates the warmth and spirit of our community.”
The event marks the end of a successful year of bi-monthly street food markets on the Front Street, organised by food market specialists Baccanalia and sponsored by Karbon.
And with £34,000 from The Mayor’s Events and Festivals Fund, Karbon and Baccanalia are set to continue delivering the curated markets in Stanley through 2026, with Stanley-based participatory arts organisation, The Forge, joining as a partner to help the events become cultural as well as commercial hubs.
Victoria Keen, our Strategic Place Partnership Lead, said: “It’s been brilliant to see Stanley’s Front Street come alive again with food stalls and local culture. It’s a perfect finale of a year of street food markets on the Front Street and with NECA’s funding we’re looking forward to scaling up the events and welcoming more local voluntary organisations and creative networks to work with us.
“With the Councils’ support we aim to create a sustainable market model, contributing to urban regeneration in the area as part of our approach to place-shaping. By developing local connections, economic activity and skills through activities such as trader mentoring, we hope to deliver events which make lasting change and support social growth.”
We manage over 11,000 homes in Stanley, where our recent place-shaping efforts have been focused on advocating for the town and its residents and fuelling a renewed sense of pride in Stanley.
The festive line-up included the debut of a ‘Song for Stanley’, part of the Stanley Sings project by New Writing North which celebrates Stanley’s culture and heritage. Performed by children from St Joseph’s Primary School, Karbon residents from Towneley Court supported housing scheme and Karbon’s Silver Friends’ volunteers, the song was co-created by the performers through a series of songwriting workshops, all funded by Karbon.
Christmas has arrived in style in Stanley, with thousands of local residents of all ages heading to the Front Street for the Christmas light switch-on and a community-led Christmas market.
Organised by Stanley Town Council, with support from Karbon Homes, Durham County Council and North East Combined Authority (NECA), the Front Street was alive with various entertainment acts and activities, from street theatre to community choirs, a host of street food vendors and an ice rink.
Margie Stewart-Piercy, Chief Officer of Stanley Town Council, said: “We were delighted to see such a strong community turnout for our Christmas festivities, our collaboration with Karbon Homes and Durham County Council has enabled us to significantly enhance this year’s Christmas programme. The enthusiastic response from residents, even in the cold weather, demonstrates the warmth and spirit of our community.”
The event marks the end of a successful year of bi-monthly street food markets on the Front Street, organised by food market specialists Baccanalia and sponsored by Karbon.
And with £34,000 from The Mayor’s Events and Festivals Fund, Karbon and Baccanalia are set to continue delivering the curated markets in Stanley through 2026, with Stanley-based participatory arts organisation, The Forge, joining as a partner to help the events become cultural as well as commercial hubs.
Victoria Keen, our Strategic Place Partnership Lead, said: “It’s been brilliant to see Stanley’s Front Street come alive again with food stalls and local culture. It’s a perfect finale of a year of street food markets on the Front Street and with NECA’s funding we’re looking forward to scaling up the events and welcoming more local voluntary organisations and creative networks to work with us.
“With the Councils’ support we aim to create a sustainable market model, contributing to urban regeneration in the area as part of our approach to place-shaping. By developing local connections, economic activity and skills through activities such as trader mentoring, we hope to deliver events which make lasting change and support social growth.”
We manage over 11,000 homes in Stanley, where our recent place-shaping efforts have been focused on advocating for the town and its residents and fuelling a renewed sense of pride in Stanley.
The festive line-up included the debut of a ‘Song for Stanley’, part of the Stanley Sings project by New Writing North which celebrates Stanley’s culture and heritage. Performed by children from St Joseph’s Primary School, Karbon residents from Towneley Court supported housing scheme and Karbon’s Silver Friends’ volunteers, the song was co-created by the performers through a series of songwriting workshops, all funded by Karbon.
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