Our Founder Andy Reid MBE recently took part in some filming at Ruskin Sports Village with Sean Fletcher for the prestigious programme Songs of Praise.
The team approached us back in October after hearing Andy’s story and asked whether he would like to be part of a special episode about “New Year, New You” about new challenges he will be facing in 2024.
Our week here at the Foundation just keeps getting better! We are delighted to welcome the retail giant that is Home Bargains to our Foundation partner stable.
Home Bargains is one of the UK’s fastest-growing discount retailers, selling top quality, branded goods at low prices, including health and beauty, household, toys, sweets and snacks, home interiors and drinks and alcohol.
Established over 40 years ago in Old Swan, Liverpool, the family-owned and family-run business has grown to become one of the largest privately-owned companies in the UK.
The company has over 600 stores in the UK and employs over 28,500 staff.
The company intends to continue its rapid expansion and has ambitious plans to grow to 800 stores and 35,000 staff.
We are really excited to have them onboard and look forward to working together in the future.
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a partner of the Foundation, please get in touch with our Executive Officer Charlie Eke.
charlie@standingtallfoundation.org.uk
They have already helped tens of thousands of people achieve their ambition to get their HGV Licence since they first opened in 1989. Hughes Driver Training is the largest HGV training school in the UK delivering training Nationwide since it began.
Hughes Driver Training employs many veterans across the business. They are signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant and have been awarded the Silver ERS Award by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
As they say – they don’t just get you an HGV Licence, they also get you an HGV Career.
Once you have got your HGV/LGV licence with them, their inside knowledge allows them to help you into a new career as soon as possible.
They had this to say about becoming Foundation partners:
“We are proud to sponsor the Standing Tall Foundation and make it our mission to change people’s lives by obtaining an HGV licence to start a new career with our support every step of their journey.”
We can’t wait to start working with them, and by doing so, we hope to help many of our service users and veterans into new careers moving forward.
Welcome onboard!
Standing Tall Foundation has been awarded the prestigious St Helens Business of the Year, sponsored by Miller Developments at the St Helens Borough Business Awards, which took place on 20th October at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
In collaboration with St Helens Chamber and St Helens Borough Council – sponsored by Brendon International Ltd, and supported by Faun Zoeller, Lucam Consultancy, Glass Futures and Torus – the St Helens Borough Business Awards recognise and celebrate the success and accomplishments of businesses and people over the past year.
The St Helens Business of the Year category recognises outstanding achievement, and was chosen from the winners of all the business categories in the St Helens Borough Business Awards.
Standing Tall Foundation were praised by the judges for the vital work they do, alongside their long-lasting impact on the local community; continuing to provide a fleet of essential services with no Government funding, and acting as a one-stop shop taking service users from a vulnerable situation to a new career and reintegration into society.
In addition to this, we were also awarded the Social Business of the Year Award. The Social Business of the Year category recognises charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups that deliver essential services, help improve people’s wellbeing and contribute to economic growth.
Standing Tall Foundation were praised by the judges for their commitment to helping and supporting their local community. They identified clear needs for high level support and guidance to all groups in society as well as at a more meaningful level to individuals.
Our Founder Andy Reid MBE said:
Tracy Mawson, Chief Executive at St Helens Chamber, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the volume and calibre of entries to the St Helens Borough Business Awards. It has been a pleasure to see so much talent on display during this year’s judging process. The judges really did have a difficult job on their hands, but I believe we have found some truly outstanding winners.
“For me the Awards demonstrates the depth and breadth of the business community here in the Borough and that diversity is our strength.”
Councillor Kate Groucutt, Cabinet Member for Economy, Business & Skills at St Helens Borough Council, added: “It’s great to celebrate and recognise some of the many examples of resilience, innovation, and achievements in the local economy.
“Seeing the calibre of finalists, their stories, their people and progress gives me the utmost certainty that we can look forward with confidence as a borough. The quality of entries this year has been outstanding, and we are proud to host this sell-out event that throws a spotlight on business from all sectors.”
Massive thanks to everyone that came down to support and watch our charity game on Sunday. It was a fantastic match with our STF Vets Select team coming away victorious with a 2-0 win!
A big shout out to all the celebrities from Hollyoaks, Emmeredale and Coronation Street for taking the time to play, as well as the players, coaches, linesmen, referees and mascots. The event was held at Ruskin Fitness Club in St Helens
Half time was dominated by a game from the Rainford Ladies Athletic under 10’s team vs Pilkington FC Womens under 10’s – thanks so much for taking part, it’s always such a treat to watch the youngsters play and display such a passion for the sport.
Lastly, thanks so much to our friends at Walkers Crisps and Pepsico ,who ran an amazing crisps, sweets and soft drinks stall – all accompanied by some amazing Monster Munch Monsters!
Thanks so much to everyone that came to our Gala dinner and awards night at the majestic Concorde Conference Centre on the 23rd September.
It was a fantastic night with all our Foundation Partners and Friends which saw over 200 guests come together to celebrate their support of the Foundation and the brilliant things we have been able to achieve, and deliver due to that support.
The event, compared 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 and Addiction support services here at the Foundation.
Congratulations to all of the winners on the night, spanning across the 7 different categories.
List of categories and winners as follows:
STANDING TALL FOUNDATION AWARD – Presented by Adam Purshall – Menzies Distribution
This award recognises the outstanding contribution this company or individual has made to the Foundation since it started in 2020.
Winner
TECH/DESIGN AWARD – Presented by Communications Plus
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
ARMED FORCES AWARD – Presented by Karl Davies – TIP
This award is in recognition of the fantastic support a company or individual gives to our Service personnel and veterans.
Winner
SOCIAL IMPACT & COMMUNITY AWARD – Presented by Victoria Morrison – Hughes – 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
LOCAL SERVICES AWARD – Presented by Max Bentham – Muse Developments
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.
NEW PARTNER AWARD – Presented by Allie Baglow – Allisons Financial
This Award celebrates our newest Foundation Partners and the support they have shown us so far.
Winner
ANDY REID MBE SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD – Presented by Andy Reid MBE
This Award is in recognition of the support this organisation has provided to the Armed Forces Community.
Winner
Get ready to rub shoulders with TV celebrities like Jay Kontzle, Nick Pickard, Oscar Curtis, Jacob Roberts, Matthew James Baily, Charlie Behan, Chris Perry Metcalfe, and Alex Lawler!
They will be playing our STF Vets select team, made up of players from the Army, Navy, RAF and civilians.
But that’s not all – we’ve got more! Meet Steve Heapy, the CEO of Jet2, and former football legends Liam Dickinson and Rhodri Giggs.
And here’s the best part – your ticket includes a chance to WIN 2 x plane tickets anywhere in Europe! Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity.
Join us for an unforgettable Sunday filled with celebrities, fun, and the chance to jet off to your dream European destination.
The event starts at 1pm with kick off at 3pm.
Standing tickets are £5 adults and £3 children. There are a limited number of VIP seated stand tickets available at £10 each which includes a drink. First come first served on these!
We look forward to seeing you there!
We’d like to say a massive thank you to The Veterans’ Foundation and Veterans’ Lottery as we have received the amazing news that we have been awarded a grant!
The Grant will fund our Veterans on Probation Wellbeing Programme. This is a 6 week programme, specifically targeted at Veterans currently engaged with the Probation Service in Warrington, Halton and Knowsley.
The programme is aimed at helping them to improve their general health and wellbeing, as well as providing tools for employment and financial planning. It will also seek to reduce social isolation, increase social contact, encourage peer engagement, and confidence building and create sustainable links between individuals and their community.
In December 2022 STF were contacted by the Head of the Probation Team in Warrington who were seeking our support to work with low to medium risk veterans on rehabilitation in the community. They told us that there is no-one who is focusing on the bespoke needs of veterans.
The STF team recently visited an Armed Forces Job Fair in Catterick and also delivered a Wellbeing Day for soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment. We found that there is a need for the types of services we deliver and this is a consistent message from probation services across the UK. We have designed this programme in response to this need.
We are therefore absolutely delighted to receive the financial backing to be able to fund and deliver this project. In particular, our Founder Andy Reid MBE appreciates what it means to wear a uniform and the potential adverse outcomes of transitioning to a civilian life. This ‘lived experience’ makes him uniquely qualified to understand the pressures and stresses of the people in our communities he primarily wishes to help.
Andy recently filmed a fantastic piece of video content for the Veterans’ Foundation in support of the Veterans Lottery, explaining his story. The powerful underlying message being to other veterans that he is “a survivor, not a victim”, a value that is instilled within Andy and all the work that we do here at the Foundation.
You can view the video here:
The Veterans’ Foundation Major General David Shaw describes what they do:
“The Veterans’ Foundation has been set up to help fund charities and other charitable organisations that are helping serving and former members of the Armed Forces, and their dependants, who are in need.”
“The Veterans’ Foundation raises its money through the Veterans’ Lottery and donations. Since inception in July 2016, it has given over £11 million through over 600 grants to over 300 unique organisations, many of them small to medium-sized and very worthwhile charities, which are helping members of the Armed Forces community who are in need. Forecasts indicate the Veterans’ Foundation will make grants totaling £4.4 million this financial year. The charities and other organisations we have helped include those tackling the challenges of mental and physical injuries, homelessness, unemployment, children’s loss of parents while serving and remembrance. We encourage you to spread the word.”
Our Founder Andy had this to say about the funding news:
” I am ecstatic that my Foundation has received not only funding, but also the recognition from the Veterans’ Foundation and Lottery that there is a need for our Wellbeing programme for Veterans in the probation service. Having served in the Army for a number of years, I can fully understand the nature and complexity of the issues some of the Veterans face, and that the transition back into Civilian life can be challenging. I am extremely grateful for the support of the Veterans’ Foundation and am excited for my team to be able to deliver such a vital programme that could make a big difference.”
Massive thanks to everyone that braved the weather on Sunday 23rd, and came down to support our Charity Football Funday! The event was held at Ruskin Sports Village and brought together people from all over St Helens and the surrounding areas, for a day of football (in the rain!).
This was a great opportunity to showcase our very own Veterans select team, made up of players from the Army, RAF, Navy, STF Team members and civilians. This was the first time they had played together as a team and great to be representing a Tri-Service of players.
First up it was Standing Tall Foundation Veterans Team Select vs Pilkington FC Veterans Select. The game was really competitive and hard fought with plenty of goals and Ruskin Select coming away with a 4-3 win.
Next up was the Rainford Ladies Athletic U9’s vs Pilkington Ladies U10’s during the main match half time and the little Rainford ladies coming away with a 1-0 win.
It was a fantastic day and we are extremely grateful for the donations we received which will all go towards providing Wellbeing support to people in the community and beyond.
Thanks also to Ewemove Estate Agents in St Helens West for sponsoring the event and Ruskin St.Helens for hosting it!
Here’s to the next one in October, where our STF Selects team will be playing against a Celebrity All Stars team. Watch this space for more details!
Our stable of Foundation Partners is steadily expanding, and their breadth of expertise is astonishing. We were therefore delighted when we learned that IT recruitment specialists Cerco wanted to come onboard. We warmly welcome you to the fold!
Who are Cerco?
Cerco launched in 1989 as Granada IT Services, initially providing practical courses for candidates looking to start a career in IT. In 2003 they added a recruitment / contract arm enabling them to place trainees directly into fully paid work. From 2010 Cerco evolved to become the business it is today – offering free training and recruitment opportunities to the right candidates and providing a quality, trained workforce to clients. Cerco has more than 30 years of experience as a technical services business and provider of highly motivated, skilled and versatile IT professionals to industry leaders. Amongst their clients they are proud to include BT, Fujitsu, Computacenter, NCR, Bybox, Vista and HP amongst many others. By taking candidates with the best potential, and training them to a high standard in both technical ability and customer service, Cerco can consistently meet the high expectations of its clients nationwide.
Chris Barlow, Managing Director had this to say:
“Since 1989, Cerco has been helping individuals make their way into the IT sector, via a combination of both training and job opportunities through our industry partners. Our recognised training programme assists you in becoming a successful candidate in the IT world, and more recently moving into the cyber security space. Our team of experts are waiting to support you on your journey to IT.”
Thanks for coming on board and supporting the Foundation and what we do, we look forward to working together in the future!
Are you interested in volunteering for The Standing Tall Foundation? You will be providing vital support for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in our society.
Learn more →
For further details on The Standing Tall Foundation and how to access the Mental Health support
Get in touch →
Mental Health 
Addiction Issues 
Wellbeing