October 2024

Our annual Standing Tall Foundation Gala Dinner & Awards Night wouldn’t be a success without everyone who attended.

Thanks to our fantastic photographer Dave and Paparazzi Mirror we managed to capture all of your best bits!

So here are the photos from the night and links to Flickr so you can download:

SELFIE BOOTH

MAIN PHOTOS 

We’d like to say a massive thanks so much to everyone that came to our Gala dinner and awards night at the stunning Titanic Hotel in Liverpool on Saturday October 19th.

It was a fantastic night with all our Foundation Partners and Friends which saw over 230 guests come together to celebrate the support they have shown the Foundation and the brilliant things we have been able to achieve, and deliver due to that support.

It was also a night to celebrate our Founder Andy’s “Being Alive Day” which was the 15th Anniversary of when he suffered life changing injuries while on patrol in Afghanistan back in 2009.

The event, compered by the hilarious Pete Emmett was a huge success and we raised a substantial amount of money on the night, allowing us to deliver more Mental Health Counselling, Addiction support services and Physical Activity Initiatives here at the Foundation.

A special thanks goes out to Andy Williams, a former Veteran who shared his story of struggles with Mental Health and Addiction and how he overcame them.

Also to Hanna Joy for her amazing singing and for keeping us entertained all night and up on the dance floor! And to Showkings for their  fantastic AV support and set design.

Finally, a huge thanks to our Silent Auction from Colin Beresford and all our sponsors on the night – Menzies Distribution, TIP, Muse Developments, New Balance, MCR, Money & Me, Integral Legal Costs, Cannington Shaw, Cinema Bar, Bouquet Residence, and Shove Media.

THE WINNERS

Congratulations to all of the winners on the night, spanning across the 8 different categories.

List of categories and winners as follows:

TECH/DESIGN AWARD – Presented by Shove Media

This Award is presented to the company or individual that has offered exceptional technical or design support to the Foundation, to ensure the professional and smooth running of its internal operations.

Winner

EMPORIA MARKETING LTD

ARMED FORCES AWARD – Presented by Money & Me Solicitors

This Award is in recognition of the fantastic support a company or individual gives to our Service personnel and veterans.

Winner

HUGHES DRIVER TRAINING

SOCIAL IMPACT & COMMUNITY AWARD – Presented by Integral Legal

This Award recognises the company that has contributed to the development or needs of an individual by helping them and implementing positive change in their lives and the community.

Winner

B-ENGINEERING

LOCAL SERVICES AWARD – Presented by TIP

This Award celebrates the services offered by local businesses in the Northwest region, and the support they have shown not only the Foundation, but the surrounding community.

Winner 

INTEGRAL LEGAL COSTS

NEW PARTNER AWARD – Presented by Menzies Distribution

This Award celebrates our newest Foundation Partners and the support they have shown us so far.

Winner

PEPSICO

STANDING TALL AWARD – Presented by New Balance

This Award recognises the outstanding contribution this company or individual has made to the Foundation since it started in 2020.

Winner

AESSEAL

ANDY REID MBE SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD – Presented by MCR Building Supplies

This Award is in recognition of the support this organisation has provided to the Foundation that has gone above and beyond.

Winner

A+B ENGINEERING

JOHN TABERN SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD – Presented by Cannington Shaw

This Award is in recognition of the support this organisation has provided to the Armed Forces Community.

Winner

NW RFCA

In September this year, the Standing Tall Foundation acquired two new part-time prevention support workers to provide crucial Housing and Benefits Support to those in need.

Until recently, Shauni Ward and Jess McCarthy-Scarsbrook delivered their service via the Teardrops Charity in St. Helens, but this has recently had to close. Between them they will cover Housing-related issues and Benefits & Welfare advice and support, consolidating our team, our portfolio of services and our one stop shop proposition for people who are in crisis.

People present to STF with multi-complex needs. We have seen an increasing number of clients come through our doors with Mental Health and Addiction issues due to underlying problems with their housing or benefits situation.  All of our STF support is free at point of entry. Over 90% of our clients are unemployed, living in poverty or acute financial difficulty.

Shauni and Jess are experienced with a proven track record of working with clients to successful outcomes. They bring with them a waiting list of 40 people who need urgent intervention, moreover the closure of Teardrops Charity means that these clients can only rely on the nonspecific support they may be able to access through Citizens Advice. There is a real need for an understanding of the multi-faceted and complex issues these individuals can face with mental health and drug/alcohol addiction. STF is well positioned due to the work it carries out and the ‘Lived Experience’ it carries within its staff.

Combining our collective strengths, knowledge and learning and bringing this new post into the STF team will enable us to offer a streamlined pathway of support, avoiding unnecessary time delays and for a vulnerable person to have to deal with multiple agencies.

In the aftermath of COVID Teardrops saw a 200% increase in demand for local services to provide support with housing, welfare and benefits advice.  Year on year STF has seen similar increases, in 2024 we are projecting support in the region of 3130 clients across all our interventions and 750 specifically for addiction support.  

Shauni and Jess will bring immediate intervention, supporting people at the earliest possible stages with housing, welfare and cost-of-living challenges.

We know that people are more likely to access the support they need if it is in one place, aligned, and fundamentally in a friendly and non-judgemental safe space.  The STF Hub offers a unique offer of person-centred, holistic support; helping people who are at risk of crisis with mental and physical health services, alcohol and substance misuse, wellness coaching, housing and benefit advice, financial budgeting and planning, CV development, employment and education support.

Andy Reid MBE said “ We are delighted to welcome the girls on board and look forward to being able to support even more people in our town with the issues they may be facing.” 

Shauni Ward said “Supporting the community is at the heart of the Standing Tall Foundation. Jess and I are excited to be joining an amazing team of people doing what we love. We have a passion to help and support the people within our community.”

If you need help or support with housing and benefits, mental health or addiction support please contact the Standing Tall Foundation today:

Referrals@standingtallfoundation.org.uk