News

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, 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 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:

The Standing Tall Foundation are asking for people to donate new toys and gifts to support the most vulnerable families in St Helens.

We are looking to distribute over 1500 gifts via 50 schools in the Borough who have identified the greatest need, as well as homeless families, to make sure that the most vulnerable children receive gifts this Xmas. 

If you would like to donate anything, we are accepting gifts from newborn up to the age of 17.

There are several drop off and collection points in the town as follows:

Standing Tall Foundation

REDS Cafe – Rainford

Natwest

Smyths Toy Store

Dunelm

Whistles Cafe, Eccleston

Cosey Homes

If any other businesses want to become a collection point or be involved in any other way, we are open to volunteers! We are also requesting wrapping paper, sellotape, gift bags and gift tags if anyone can help with those.

If you would like to get involved with the appeal, please get in touch via the email below:

christmas@standingtallfoundation.org.uk

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

IT’S TIME TO VOTE!

Our Founder, Veteran and triple amputee, Andy Reid MBE has reached the final of the Inspiration Award category of Soldiering On Awards 2024. As public voting opens this week to choose the winner from three worthy finalists, the Army Benevolent Fund is calling on the local community to back Andy, who is an ambassador for the charity.

The National Soldiering On awards recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals, teams and businesses who work in support of the Armed Forces Community. Online public voting for the winner of the Inspiration Award opens on 23rd July and closes on 26th August – visit: www.soldieringon.org.  

The Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) nominated Andy for the ‘Inspiration Award’ in recognition of his outstanding achievements, as a fundraiser for the charity and founder of the Standing Tall Foundation, based in St Helen’s, as well as his courage in living with the serious injuries sustained during his Army career.  

Corporal Andy Reid was injured serving with the Yorkshire Regiment in Afghanistan in 2009. Andy survived an IED explosion, in which he lost his right arm, right leg below the knee and left leg above the knee. On his return home, Andy astounded people with his recovery.  

Having fought back from countless operations, Andy’s determination and strength have enabled him to redefine his life and find inspiration in serving others. Throughout his journey, Andy has received the support of the Army Benevolent Fund – starting with help to fund adaptions to make his home more accessible. Andy has raised thousands for the ABF which marks its 80th anniversary this year. He is dedicated to raising awareness of the charity’s support for soldiers, former soldiers and their families as an ambassador, most recently at events with Her Majesty The Queen and author, Sir Max Hastings.

A published author and accomplished motivational speaker, in 2020 Andy established the Standing Tall Foundation in St Helen’s with John Tabern (now CEO). The Standing Tall Foundation promote the mental and physical health of all community groups, by providing counselling, addiction support and physical activity initiatives and providing grants, items and services to prevent hardship.

Andy has pushed himself to the limit to support his foundation, the ABF and other causes. His daredevil fundraising includes tandem skydives and abseiling down the Big One in Blackpool; climbing Snowdon and kayaking hundreds of miles. In 2022, he summited Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Standing Tall Foundation, the first triple amputee from the UK to do so. Andy was awarded an MBE in 2019 for voluntary service to veterans and people with disabilities and received the Pride of St Helens Award 2022 for Courage.

Andy said: “I am deeply honoured to have been nominated by the Army Benevolent Fund and to have reached the finals of the Soldiering On Awards. I keep pushing myself forward to show other guys injured in service or someone who is just struggling with life, what can be done, that it’s not the end of the world and you can carry on as normal a life as possible. If just one person gets inspired to make a small step forward in their life, it will be worth every step I take – and all the win I need.!”

The Army Benevolent Fund is the Army’s national charity. Since 1944, the charity has been here for soldiers, former soldiers and their families – supporting them through all of life’s challenges. Throughout August, it is celebrating its 80th anniversary by sharing stories of the inspiring people and partners it supports – seeing Andy’s achievements recognized as winner of the Soldiering On Awards would be the ‘icing on the cake’

Brigadier (Ret’d) Peter Monteith, Chief Operating Officer, Army Benevolent Fund, said: “The Army Benevolent Fund is delighted that our ambassador, Andy Reid MBE, is a finalist in the Inspiration category of the Soldiering On Awards 2024. Andy has experienced life-changing injuries but does not let them define him. He is dedicated to serving others – raising thousands for our charity, establishing his own foundation, and motivating many people through his story of resilience and recovery. Congratulations to Andy and his fellow finalists – reaching this stage is a wonderful achievement in itself!”

The winner in the ‘Inspiration Award’ category will be chosen by public vote from a shortlist of three finalists, and will be announced along with the other categories at a ceremony hosted by Jeremy Vine on 16th October. 

Online public voting for the winner of the Inspiration Award opens on 23rd July and closes on 26th August – visit: www.soldieringon.org.  

We are delighted to announce that Lindab have become the latest Affiliate partner of the Foundation. An affiliate partner is someone who has donated goods or services to us free of charge.

As you all may be aware, we are currently in the process of converting a property in St Helens into a 4 bedroom HMO to help Veterans in the town. Lindab work closely with B-Engineering, who are another of our wonderful Affiliate partners working on the project. Because of this, Lindab have kindly donated all the equipment needed for the ventilation system for the house.

Lindab want to contribute to tomorrow’s indoor climate. They also want to contribute to a better climate for our planet. They have a broad offering to the ventilation industry – from individual components to complete indoor climate solutions. They offer an unlimited range of functional, simple, economical and environmental ventilation solutions for both residential and commercial properties.

We are extremely grateful to everyone that has stepped forward to help with this exciting and much needed housing offering in St Helens.  Last year there was a 14% rise in homelessness in Armed Forces veterans, despite the government pledge and £8.8 million housing fund and the launch of Op Fortitude. We know that we are only making a tiny dent in the fight against homelessness, but we still hope to make a big difference.

The HMO will also provide a base for any veterans struggling with their mental health, wellbeing or addiction issues. We can offer them support here at the Foundation with the range of services we currently provide.

If you are a veteran in need, or know somebody that is, please get in touch with us today.

STF held its very first Charity Golf Day on Friday at Houghwood Golf Course and it was a great success! Massive thanks to everybody who took part and supported us on the day. 

We ended up 17 teams, made up predominantly of our Foundation partners and friends of the foundation. Special mention goes to one of our hole sponsors  Signs4Golf who travelled up all the way from Bognor Regis! Huge thanks also goes to our hole sponsors: B-Engineering, Communications Plus and MCR Concrete, as well as our Affiliate Sponsor Integral Legal, and our headline sponsor – Totally Wicked.

The day began at 11.30am for registration and breakfast butties with a shot gun start at 1pm to begin the event. After nearly 5 hours of competitive golf, everyone came back in for drinks and food and to find out the score cards from the day. Congratulations to MCR Concrete who scooped up first prize!

We rounded the night off with a presentation ceremony, raffle and auction. Not forgetting the hilarious comedic entertainment provided by the legendary John Martin. It was a tough crowd but he heckled them very well!

Here are some pictures from the day – we can’t wait for next year!

The Soldiering On Awards 2024 finalists have been revealed today and our Founder Andy Reid MBE is one of them!

Andy is up for the prestigious Inspiration of the Year Award, an award to honour a person that has overcome significant challenges, injury or disability and whose ongoing or past outstanding achievements are an inspiration to others within the Armed Forces Community.

Now in their 14th year, the Soldiering On Awards celebrate excellence within the Armed Forces community across twelve distinct categories, ranging from Family Values to Business Start-Up and Animal Partnership. These awards aim to highlight ordinary individuals accomplishing extraordinary feats.

Leading the selection process, Co-Chairs of Judges Lt Gen (Ret’d) Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE and Debra Allcock-Tyler, CEO of the Directory of Social Change, guided a distinguished panel of independent judges. They meticulously selected 36 finalists from an exceptional pool of nominees, with three finalists chosen
for each category.

A private reception at the House of Lords in July, hosted by Awards Patron the Rt Hon Earl Howe GBE PC, will honour the finalists. The winners will be announced at a spectacular black-tie event at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge on Wednesday, 16th October 2024, hosted by special guest presenter Jeremy Vine.

Public voting will determine the winners in two categories: the Animal Partnership Award and the Inspiration Award.

Online voting will open on 23rd July and close on 26th August at www.soldieringon.org.

PLEASE VOTE FOR ANDY!