Stanley's Community Centre
saving the heart of the community
Stanley's main source of income is from funding applications, in 2018 Stanley's was faced with the possibility of closure when they were informed by their main funder that they were no longer in a position to support them. This meant that the 250 service users that walk through the doors each week would no longer be supported by the staff and volunteers at Stanley's. This would include the 80 families that use the food bank service. Stanley's for many people is a life line.
Challenge
By offering the community a voice I created a zine using photographs of the many services that Stanley's offers members of the community. We printed as many copies of the zine that we would and sent them out to everyone that we thought could help us in this cause. Eventually someone did listen, the NHS secured a contract with Stanley's to continue serving the community.
How working with others achieves change
Working collectively with others means that you are more likely to make a change that is the right change for more people . I teamed up with Documentary film maker, Hershel Creative to raise awareness for the centre. By listening to and looking at the change issue together you will more likely create solutions and a change that sticks. The film is available to view on YouTube at Stanley's youth and community centre by Hershel Creative. The film was successful and has gone global.
“I try with my pictures to raise a question, to provoke a debate, so that we can discuss problems together and come up with solutions.”
Sebastiao Salgado