March 2023

STF ORGANISE BOOTCAMP WITH YORSKSHIRE REGIMENT FOR SAINTS WOMEN’S TEAM

This weekend saw The Foundation facilitate a pre-season bootcamp with the 2nd Battalion at the Yorkshire Regiment for the Saints Women’s team. The two day event involved many team building activities and challenges which brought the team together off the pitch, ahead of the upcoming season.

Here are some pictures from the day and social media tweets:

Our Founder Andy Reid MBE said:

“Myself and everyone at the Standing Tall Foundation are delighted to be sponsoring Jodie Cunningham again for the 2023 season. I have worked with Saints women’s team and the England women’s team over the last few year’s.

Myself and Craig was talking about team building and leadership at around the same time I was asked by the 2nd Battalion at the Yorkshire Regiment to deliver some Wellbeing and Mental health projects for the Soldiers and Officers.

Having served in the Yorkshire Regiment and being a big fan of the women’s game, it was fantastic to help organise a pre- season boot camp for Saints women, and keep building that relationship to hopefully inspire some female infantry soldiers to take up rugby league and get involved with Saints.”

Well done ladies, we wish you all the best for the upcoming season!

EVOLUTION FITNESS XL BECOME NEWEST PARTNER OF THE FOUNDATION

It’s been another exciting month here at the Foundation – and our latest announcement is just that! We are thrilled that Evolution Fitness XL have joined as our latest Foundation Partner.

Based locally in St Helens, Evolution Fitness was set up by local lad Mike Garner. The ethos behind the gym is that “hard work pays off”. They reject all forms of negativity, motivate everyone to be included and celebrate all forms of achievement. They want to be more than a gym, and want to support everyone to reach their goals, break their limits and feel like they’re part of a like-minded family.

We were delighted to welcome them onboard, as here at the Foundation, we know the importance of  physical wellbeing, and the positive impact it can have on your mental health.

Our Founder Andy Reid MBE had this to say:

“It’s fantastic to be working with Mike and everyone at Evolution Fitness XL. Obviously physical wellbeing goes hand in hand with mental wellness and overall wellbeing, so it’s great to partner with them and receive their support for the Foundation.”

Welcome guys! We look forward to working together going forward!

If you are struggling with your mental health and wellbeing, or need some advice on how to improve your physical health, please get in touch with our Wellbeing team.

WE ARE OFFICIALLY GUINNESS WORLD RECORD HOLDERS!!

We are absolutely ecstatic to announce that The Standing Tall Foundation are now official Guinness World Record holders for the “highest altitude burger delivery on land!” 

Back in October last year, our Founder Andy Reid MBE became the first ever triple amputee in the UK to reach the summit of the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro.

As if it wasn’t enough, there was another world record also broken on that momentous day. In collaboration with our sponsor Uber Eats, Andy and the team were able to “deliver” the first ever burger and fries to the top of the mountain, 19,341 feet above sea level!

Successfully organised by Daniel Hodges, who also took part in the Kili challenge, the burger was made prior at British Burger chain Honest Burger in Manchester, and was safely vacuum packed and transported in the team’s luggage in preparation for the epic journey it was about to go on.

It took six days for the burger to travel from the foot to the top of the highest mountain in Africa. The burger travelled approximately 4,522 miles from where it was made to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro by car, plane and on foot by Andy Reid MBE and his team of climbers.

As the team battled with altitude sickness and tummy bugs, we were unsure whether it would make it to the top, but we are delighted to say it did, and it has now officially broken a world record for the highest altitude burger delivery on land!

You can see it for yourself on the official site HERE.

Matthew Price, Uber Eats UK and Ireland General Manager at Uber said: “When we heard Andy Reid and the incredible team at The Standing Tall Foundation wanted to work with us to take our deliveries to new heights and break the World Record for the highest altitude delivery on land, we jumped at the chance to be involved. We were proud to raise awareness and funds for an important charity which is dedicated to promoting the physical and mental health of communities across the UK.”

MBE Andy Reid, Founder of The Standing Tall Foundation said: “In October 2009, I stepped on a Taliban improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan and was badly injured. Each year in October, I set myself an ambitious challenge to raise money and give back to the associations that helped me and my family through that difficult time and this year, that was climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. After the challenges we’ve all faced in the last couple of years, I wanted to make this year’s task a special one, which is why we at The Standing Tall Foundation decided to partner with Uber Eats and break the World Record for the highest altitude burger delivery on land. The climb was hard but so much fun and I’m over the moon we managed to break a world record in the process.”

Tom Barton, Co-founder of Honest Burgers said: “At Honest Burgers, we’re always looking for ways to grow our delivery business, so trying to get a burger to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro felt like the next logical step! It’s been a really fun project to partner with Uber Eats and The Standing Tall foundation on – we’re super proud that one of our burgers has broken the World Record for the highest altitude burger delivery on land. Next up the Moon!”

Massive well done to everyone who organised, took part and made this happen! We salute you!

The World Record attempt raised vital funds for The Standing Tall Foundation to allow us to continue the important work we do by providing free professional mental health and addiction support and services to all community groups.

STANDING TALL MERCHANDISE LAUNCHED!

We are absolutely ecstatic to announce that we have launched our very own STANDING TALL clothing brand!

Working in collaboration with local St Helens based clothing brand Merakilo, we have designed a simple, yet powerful logo and range of clothing to match, for both men, women and children. There is a range to suit everyone.

The ethos behind the branding and the mountain, (which is Mount Kilimanjaro by the way) is to represent the epic challenge that Andy faced last year when he became the first triple amputee to reach the summit. This was Andy’s mountain, and the struggle he faced was real, but he was able to overcome the adversity he faced and climb to the top.

Most importantly, the logo symbolises that we all have our OWN Mountain to conquer – whether it be our Mental Health, Physical Health, Addiction issues, or just general life challenges – we can face them and defeat them and not let them defy us!

STAND TALL AT THE TOP OF YOUR MOUNTAIN

Our Standing Tall clothing is available to buy HERE 

Or please visit our merchandise page on the website.

All proceeds generated go towards providing our Mental Health and Addiction Support Services

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