February 2023

We are delighted to announce our latest Foundation partner as Integral Legal Costs based in Wilmslow, Cheshire. 

Integral Legal work with their clients as trusted members of their team.  They aim to be an extended department of your business; as advisors upon whom you can always rely throughout the conduct of your case – from inception to conclusion and at every stage in between.  They acknowledge the lack of personal touch that a lot of their competitors have with their clients and strive to be the exact opposite of that.

Integral Legal are a well rounded business, offering services in Costs Drafting, Costs Management, Training, Advocacy, Strategy, Solicitor Act Disputes, Informed Consent and Funding.

Victoria Morrison – Hughes is the Founding Director of Integral Legal.  Victoria is a qualified Costs Lawyer with a degree in accountancy and finance, coupled with extensive experience working as a lawyer in high street practice which provides Victoria with unique insight into both the operational and technical demands of a legal business.

She had this to say about the partnership:

“Having met Andy at an event in July 2022 and visiting the Standing Tall Foundation the impact on me personally and my family has been overwhelming, such that I have not been able to stop thinking of ways in which I can help the Foundation.  Becoming a partner was an immediate way to get on board but I look forward to continuing to find ways to help promote the Standing Tall Foundation and the exceptional work that Andy and his team do.”

We are really grateful for their support and are excited to be working together in the future, as we believe they will be a great asset to the Foundation!

If you are interested in becoming a partner of the Foundation, please get in touch with our Executive Officer Charlie Eke:

charlie@standingtallfoundation.org.uk

Children’s Mental Health Week will take place from the 6th – 12th February 2023 and the theme this year is “Let’s Connect”.

Let’s Connect is about making meaningful connections. People thrive in communities, and this connection is vital for our wellbeing. When we have healthy connections to family, friends and others – this can support our mental health and our sense of wellbeing.

For Children’s Mental Health Week 2023, children are being encouraged to connect with others in healthy, rewarding and meaningful ways.

National statistics show that 50 % of mental health issues are established by the age of 14 and 75% by age 24.

70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not received support at a sufficiently early age. 

Here at the Foundation, we have offered Mental Health support to around ten young people over the past two years. Invariably we have found that young people are awaiting assessment elsewhere and are expected to wait between three to six months. We are in a fortunate position whereby we can invite people into our Counselling service within two weeks. Unfortunately, schools don’t appear to be offering any substantial support when it comes to emotional wellbeing, and therefore lots of young people simply don’t know who to turn to.   

The Standing Tall Foundation practices Solution based Therapy. We teach coping strategies including mind management techniques which encourages children and young adults to focus on their reactions rather than circumstances. The results generally include anxiety management and stress reduction. 

Our Head of Therapies, Phil Parr has seen a variety of young people displaying different issues, here are some of their testimonials:

“My son is 12 and has struggled with bullying at school which has left him with lots of painful memories and feelings to deal with. Counselling has offered a safe place to talk about his emotions and feelings in difficult times. Counsellor Phil is installing positivity and coping tools to help my son deal with the emotions and the results speak for themselves. He looks forward to seeing his Counsellor and he is improving all the time.”

“My daughter is 15 and has very high levels of anxiety. She has struggled during the Covid Pandemic and not seeing her friends. Her confidence was at an all-time low and she was having lengthy periods off school due to her mental health. She attended Counselling with STF, and the results were almost immediate. My daughter has learned how to challenge negative thoughts and behaviours and she has learned the importance of stepping out of her comfort zone. Counselling has enabled her to regain her confidence. She has passed her exams and is looking forward to the future.”

If your child is suffering with Mental Health issues and you need some support or advice, please get in touch with our lead Mental Health Counsellor Phil:

phil@standingtallfoundation.org.uk

It has been a strong start to the year here at the Foundation, and we are elated to announce our latest partner, Communications Plus. 

Communications Plus are an Award-Winning Telecoms Provider based in St Helens. They are a trusted and valued provider of telecommunications solutions to consumers and businesses across the UK. From their head offices in Rainford and Sunderland, and as an O2 Excel Partner, they aoffer the best deals and prices on business phones and SIM only tariffs, plus provide broadband, landline phone systems and VoIP solutions to thousands of businesses.

They were recently awarded O2 Franchise of the Year in recognition of the exemplary levels of service and care their team provide to customers daily. Whether you are looking to upgrade your business mobiles or take out new plans on the latest handsets, they have a dedicated team of specialists ready to help.

Our Founder and Ambassador Andy Reid MBE recently spoke at The annual Communications Plus Awards evening at St Helens Town Hall, celebrating the exceptional results and award-winning customer service delivered by the amazing teams in their O2 stores.

Andy Reid MBE says:

‘I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Steve, his team and their staff on this journey with us, all the more so, because they’re a local well respected company. The Foundation is proud of its St Helens roots and working together in partnership with such a reputable business, is extremely exciting.”

Welcome – we can’t wait to work together moving forward!

If you are interested in becoming a partner of the Foundation, please get in touch HERE.