Stainforth Poem

Stainforth Poem

Miners’ wives’ ​

anger rises ​

“They don’t care.​

We are forgotten”​

she says, walking away​

to be with her tears.​

 

Looking in,​

Injustice looks like hardship,​

but really it’s their voice not counting in, ​

Why can’t they see?​

It is unfair to make​

Decisions from afar,​

It is in their grief of the pit mentality​.

 

Still, with the energy of standing up to injustice​

in their bones, they write a plan.​

“Justice here, means protecting heritage.”​

Two fingers up to that, ​

Democracy has been diverted

 

Not only the end of fish-and-chip Fridays​

but a great big f’ing bund,​

an incomprehensible divide ​

Why did they decide​

to house a machine?​

From their windows​

they can no longer see a​

representation of their history.​

Now a daily reminder of the disrespect of their story.

 

More than spoil, the bund brings toil.​

A community left asking:​

why does no one care?​

This isn’t fair…

what’s the point?​

 

Inspired by the interviews with the Stainforth community, written by Dr Tessa Lynn

Shaping Stainforth Exhibition, Doncaster

Shaping Stainforth Exhibition, Doncaster

Photographs taken at an exhibition in October 2025 at Frenchgate Shopping Centre. Apologies for some blurry imagery.

   

I want everyone to be kind. I want us to feel safe on the streets and in our homes.

   

Can I see my future here?    The future is bright.

   

The future doesn’t have to end here. I trained everyone here, now we need ne premises to train more.

   

We need places for kids to chill. There needs to be less focus on the past and more on the future.

 

We make a difference creating this club right here in Stainforth. I want to make a difference.

   

Shaping Stainforth helped us run free gym sessions for young people this Summer. I want a gym for girls.

   

We want a free gym for teenagers. This is where I come to chill.

   

We need better parks, an indoor sports centre, AstroTurf pitches and places to chill out. We need protected areas for the youth.

   

I just want a better skate park. This park could be designed better – we can help!

   

I wouldn’t be thriving in my career if it wasn’t for Shaping Stainforth. Kerry saw the potential in me and gave me the confidence to apply for the apprentice role. Now I have so many new opportunities.

   

It’s very quiet and calm here. I want to stay, it makes me feel better. I have friends here, it will always be home.

   

Stainforth could be a safe place where everyone knows they will be safe. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel… this is worse than the strike.

   

We need new sports areas for everyone. I’m so embarrassed, it’s so disheartening. Everything is going up. You can’t tell your kids…

   

We should have a community growing garden. Bring the community together, train people in being sustainable, teach kids about the soil and nature. We can make the community everything we want.

We could build something that would keep us here.