News

He has done it! Veteran David Galloway has completed the awe-inspiring and legendary Marathon Des Sables – the world’s toughest foot race!

David has done this incredible challenge in aid of the Standing Tall Foundation and we are so proud and grateful to have the support of someone so extraordinary, what an amazing achievement!

David ran the 6 stage, 250km race across the Moroccan Sahara Desert, carrying 25lb of equipment in one of the hottest places on earth.

He spent  9 days in the desert, sleeping on the rock floor, eating cold dry rations, and running a marathon per day, except on one of the days where he ran 2!

Please help David reach his fundraising target of £5,000 if you can, any donation no matter how big or small would be hugely appreciated. You can still donate HERE.

All the funds raised help us to provide vital support services including Mental Health Counselling, Addiction, Wellbeing and Housing & Benefits support, as well as specialist support for Ex-Services.

Massive thanks to all the sponsors who donated and supported and helped to make this possible!

The pictures speak for themselves – what an incredible journey and ranking!

A brilliant day was had by all on Friday as a group of Veterans from our Ex-Services group headed to the amazing Imperial War Museum in Manchester.

Our Co-Founder Andy Reid MBE  joined them, flying the flag for Armed Forces in his Morson Van, of which is he a proud Armed Forces Ambassador for. They were also accompanied by Rita from our Affiliate Foundation Partner Money & Me Solicitors.

Our Ex-Services group was set up at the end of last year for anyone from the Armed Forces or Blue Light Services. They meet once a week here at the STF hub over a brew and a breakfast bap and it offers them great peer support and a sense of camaraderie.

Everyone is welcome to join! Our next meet up is on Friday 25th April from 9am – 11am.

More details HERE.

Here are some of the pictures from the day below:

We are ecstatic to announce our latest partner to join the Standing Tall Foundation – LATUS Group, one of the UK’s leading Occupational Health Service Providers.

LATUS has a wealth of knowledge and experience, working with businesses to improve their employee wellbeing strategies, overall health and wellbeing and improve employee experiences. Their team of medical professionals, including Occupational health Nurses (OHNs), Physicians, Occupational health Technicians, Counsellors, Physios and Rehabilitators work with businesses to establish wellbeing initiatives, provide health assessments and make employees feel safe, well and happy in the workplace.

LATUS specialises in providing industry-leading, responsive Occupational Health services to UK businesses. They work across a wide range of industries, supporting employers to provide health and wellbeing support to the employees, ensuring that businesses are legally compliant, employees are safe and protected and that businesses can focus on growth and development.

Their team deliver a wide range of Occupational Health support, assessments, tests and medicals. From Management Referrals, Fit For Work Medicals, Workplace Testing and Assessment to Mental Health, Physio and GP support, their expert team of Occupational Health professionals are on hand to create bespoke solutions for businesses of any size.

They are dedicated to supporting businesses to protect the health and wellbeing of their staff. They operate across the UK, so you’re never far from a Latus Group representative who can help you and your employees, because good health is good business.

Each month Latus Group host an exclusive live webinar and are available for over 4000 of their clients to join, including Dyson, Morrison’s and Ford. They cover a variety of topics centred around health and wellness such as Mental Health, Cancer Awareness, Menopause, Men’s Health and Neurodiversity. In May they have LADbible founder Alex Partridge joining them to present a live hour-long webinar on ADHD and to share his story pre and post diagnosis.

Excitingly, they have been chatting to our Co-Founder Andy Reid MBE about hosting an episode with him in July. Watch this space for more details!

Chief Revenue Officer at Latus Group, Andy Atha added “We are really pleased about to enter into partnership with the Standing Tall Foundation. It was apparent from our first conversations that the values at STF align with those at Latus Group and we are pleased to be able to support those in need, especially in the veteran community,  through this partnership. We look forward to building on this relationship and supporting where we can in the future” 

We are delighted to be working with LATUS moving forward and warmly welcome them onboard!

Great news this week – we have another new local business, Nine Arches joining our Foundation Partner stable.

Nine Arches Services Ltd, based in St. Helens, Merseyside was established in 2023 by Sean and Rachael Pennington, who bring over 25 years of combined experience in the security and facilities management sectors. They are dedicated to a people-first approach, which not only elevates the quality of their services but also cultivates strong relationships with their clients and the communities they serve. You can rely on them for outstanding security and cleaning solutions that demonstrate their commitment to excellence and care.

Their mission is to create safe, clean, and welcoming environments for businesses and communities alike. With a team of highly trained professionals, they offer tailored services that meet the unique needs of each client, ensuring peace of mind and satisfaction.

If anyone needs help with security or cleaning solutions moving forward, please get in touch.

We are delighted to welcome Nine Arches onboard and look forward to working with them moving forward!

Dave Galloway, a 54-year-old army veteran from Nantwich, is gearing up to tackle the gruelling ‘Marathon des Sables’ ultra-marathon in support of The Standing Tall Foundation; so we can continue to provide vital assistance to veterans and disadvantaged individuals in need of mental health support, vital help and PTSD, addiction recovery programmes.

The Marathon des Sables is a six-stage ultra-marathon covering 250km across the Sahara Desert. Competitors must endure blazing heat during the day and cold nights in the open. The race includes running through dry rock river beds, mountainous rock formations, and vast sand dunes, all while carrying essential equipment weighing between 25-30lb. The event lasts nine days, with two days dedicated to equipment and medical checks, six days of racing, and day seven is reserved for a charity fun run.

Speaking about his motivation, Dave said: ”As we navigate our way through life, I want to demonstrate to my children and grandchildren that no matter what barriers you may face, with enough determination, plus help and support you can achieve what you may feel is unachievable – it’s a mindset!  

“I also want to prove to myself that I’m not finished. I have struggled with my own self-pity and struggled quite often with the question of, “why carry on”?  But it’s not all about me, I have a family and those that are better with me in their lives, and I need to remember that there are lots of reasons to keep driving forward.

“I chose to support The Standing Tall Foundation over other armed forces charities as I share a lot of the same values and passions. I have raised money for other military charities over the years, and they are all very well supported and well-known. The team at STF support so many, but aren’t as well-known as the likes of Combat Stress etc, so I feel that if my efforts can help them to help others and gain more visibility, then all this pain and stress will have been worth it.  

“The STF is an award-winning foundation and through this challenge I want to champion their great work and do what I can to get their name out there, hopefully generating further support in the future.”

Dave, originally from Liverpool, has a distinguished military career spanning 31 years. He joined the British Armed Forces at the age of 16 and served in the 1st Battalion the Kings Regiment, now known as The Lancs. He rose through the ranks to become a Warrant Officer Class 1 and was later awarded a Queen’s Commission, promoting to the rank of Captain. Dave retired from the Army in 2018, with his last post as the Risk to Life Safety Advisor & Live Fire Tactical Training Advisor to the Commander of 20 Armoured Infantry Brigade based in Paderborn, Germany.

Now a Human & Organisational Performance Specialist at Urenco in Chester, Dave is married to Nicola, and they have three children: Ben (28), Beth (25), Oliver (20), and one grandson, Noah (2).

Dave’s personal experiences have driven his passion for supporting mental health initiatives. He has lost friends to suicide and witnessed the devastating effects of alcohol addiction firsthand. This has fuelled his commitment to raising funds for The Standing Tall Foundation.

Over the years, Dave has raised funds for various charities, including Combat Stress and Help for Heroes. His dedication to supporting those in need is impressive, and the Marathon des Sables is his latest challenge in this ongoing effort.

To support Dave on his incredible journey, visit his JustGiving HERE.

We are delighted to announce that we now have a travel partner! Working closely with Marcus Edwards from Not Just Travel, we now have our very own Travel Website and Holiday App!

Marcus comes highly recommended, providing a completely personalised and bespoke service when it comes to booking your next holiday or trip, no matter how big or small. He will be supporting the charity by making a donation from all bookings made.

You can book via the link below or download the app as instructed on the site:

https://notjustholidays.com/standingtallfoundation

Marcus will be available every Thursday 10am – 2pm for a pop up shop, beginning on Thursday 6th March.

Come and see him in the Poppy Suite at our offices at the Living Well on Borough Road.

We warmly welcome Marcus onboard and look forward to working together moving forward!

It’s been a fantastic start to the year for the Foundation as we announce our newest partner VTA Recruitment. Owned and headed up by Louis Green, who works closely alongside Operations Manager Tom Wilson, the boys met Andy at the Armed Forces Covenant Silver Awards. They have become firm supporters of the Foundation since then and we are really excited to have them onboard.

VTA Recruitment is an independent transport and logistics-based recruitment agency. They have divisions in Driving, Industrial, Manufacturing and White-collar recruitment. They offer tailored support and solutions to both local and national businesses,  Their mission is to create pathways that connect service leavers, ex-military, reservists, and the wider community to opportunities in transport, logistics, and white-collar careers. They place clients, candidates and the veteran community at the heart of everything they do.

Louis Green said:

“VTA Recruitment has become a proud partner of “Standing Tall Foundation” we take pride in our partnerships with ex-military charitable organisations and following our first encounter with Andy at the Silver armed forces covenant award’s in 2023 and throughout 2024, we have become friends of the foundation attending the fantastic events they hold becoming more involved in the foundation and seeing the work they do tirelessly to help those in need. Andy is a true inspiration and a pillar for the veteran community and for everyone who reaches out for help. Knowing VTA’s contribution will help their work continue is something we are delighted to be a part of.”

Our Co-Founder Andy Reid MBE had this to say:

“Having a company like VTA Recruitment onboard is such an asset to the Foundation. We are always looking of ways to work more effectively and collaborate with others to help support the Veteran community. Partnering with these guys means we can offer more routes into employment for the Veterans we currently see for Mental Health and Wellbeing issues. We look forward to the year ahead and working alongside them.”

We are delighted to welcome Money & Me Solicitors as our latest Affiliate Partners of the Standing Tall Foundation.

Our relationship with them has quickly developed over the last year and we are now official! Our Co-Founder Andy has also become their Armed Forces Ambassador and supports them with the fantastic work they do for Veterans.

Money & Me are an established law firm based in Warrington, dealing with a wide range of mis-sold financial products claims. In particular, they work with the Armed Forces to seek financial justice for any veterans who have been given wrong advice surrounding their pensions.

They have continued to support the STF in various ways, including providing advice at our recently launched Ex-Services group on a Friday, as well as donating 4  brand new TV’s for our HMO for Veterans. Most recently, they have wrapped and donated a large number of gifts for our Xmas Toy Appeal.

It’s brilliant to have you onboard and we look forward to working together more in the future!

We cannot thank everyone enough for their involvement in our Xmas Toy Appeal this year. Friday saw us hold our Wrap and Pack event in the marquee here at the STF Hub at the Living Well Building.

The day saw more than 60 volunteers from a wide range of companies including Murphys, Vinci and our Foundation partners Morson, Muse, Cerco, A+B Engineering, VTA Recruitment, Allisons Financial and Integral Legal help wrap, pack and deliver over 2000 presents. These were distributed amongst 50 local schools identified as having pupils with the greatest need as well as homeless families, ensuring the most vulnerable children have something to open on Christmas day.

We were overwhelmed with the generosity of people in the town as they donated gifts to Dunelm, Natwest, REDS Cafe, Smyths Toys, Cosey Homes and Whistles Cafe in Eccleston.

Massive shout out to our partners who donated toys and vouchers – B-Engineering, PepsiCo, Morson and Money & Me Solicitors (who ended up wrapping 56 individual footballs!) Also to Bates Office Supplies who very kindly donated Sellotape, Scissors and bin bags for the cause!

Thanks to each and every one of you that donated, wrapped, packed, delivered and supported along the way. With your help, these children will now receive a gift this Xmas.

Without you, none of this would have been possible!

You can view some pictures from the day and the appeal on Flickr below:

We are extremely proud and delighted to announce that we were crowned winners of  the Community Impact Award at the recent Pride of St Helens Awards 2024.

Sponsored by Halton & St Helens Voluntary and Community Action, the Community Impact Award recognised which business or organisation has had the biggest positive impact on their community.  The panel considered the following questions when selecting the finalists – Which business or other organisation has had the biggest positive impact on their community? How have they made St Helens a better place or helped people? Have they used their heart as well as their business head to serve their area?

Standing Tall Foundation were up against two other very worthy nominees – Buzz Hub and Town in the Town, who both make a massive impact on the community in their respective ways.

The 12th Pride of St Helens awards – sponsored by the Mikhail Hotel & Leisiure Group – was staged in Saints’ 1873 Lounge on Friday.

BBC Radio 5 Live’s presenter Fraser Dainton hosted the event, which saw the St Helens Darts Academy take the evening’s headline Pride of St Helens award.

The first celebration of the town’s community stars took place in 2012 and was declared a resounding success – prompting organisers the Steve Prescott Foundation and the St Helens Star to make it an annual fixture.

Our Founders John and Andy were in attendance on the night to accept the award on behalf of everyone at the Foundation. Andy first received the headline Pride of St Helens award 10 years ago at its inception, and went on to win the Courage Award in 2022.

Thanks to everyone that voted  for us and  a massive congratulations to all other nominees and winners from the night!

CEO and Founder John Tabern said: “We are delighted to be nominated for and win this award. “It represents a great deal of hard work by team STF in helping our local community, which is central to our purpose.”

“We would like to thank the Pride of St Helens selection committee for seeing fit to include us in the final three.”

Here  is a snippet of Andy’s acceptance speech below: