For 25 years, The Gugg was one of the only open, community-held spaces in Stalbridge, supporting creativity, care, food access and connection across generations.

When the land was sold for development, The Gugg lost its home.

This was more than the loss of a building. It exposed a wider pattern affecting rural places across Britain, where community spaces that hold care and culture can disappear overnight.

Rather than letting decline take hold, local leaders asked a different question:

What would it take to imagine another path for Stalbridge?

We’ve been working alongside our neighbours in Stalbridge to:

• bring residents together through inclusive community gatherings

• train local story gatherers and create projects connecting heritage to future choices

• support the development of a Community Land Trust, including governance and partnerships

• connect local action to regional and national networks, sharing learning both ways

This work focuses on building confidence, relationships and shared direction so the town can shape its future together.

Storying Stalbridge is a storytelling and heritage project we developed with The Gugg and local residents.

It began during a moment of loss and transition, when the town’s long-standing community hub lost its home and people were asking difficult questions about what kind of place Stalbridge wanted to become.

Rather than starting with plans or proposals, we began with stories.

The project:

• created shared timelines tracing Stalbridge’s social and cultural history

• invited residents to add their own memories and experiences

• hosted story-based workshops and informal conversations

• trained local residents as trauma-aware story gatherers

• supported creative outputs including a community zine and public events

The aim was to create a careful and accessible way for people to reflect on the town’s past and imagine its future.

The work in Stalbridge is still unfolding, but important shifts are already visible.

Stalbridge’s Community Land Trust has now been formally established, with environmental sustainability embedded in its legal objects. Early funding has been secured to explore community ownership.

Storying Stalbridge is underway, with trained local story gatherers and a community zine in development.

The town has also been connected to over 15 national practitioners, bringing external insight into a locally led process.

More importantly, there is a growing sense of confidence and collaboration within the town, and a belief that this small rural place can shape its own future.