STAND's "Legs on Tour" Aims to Restore Mobility and Hope Across Africa

Prosthetists in Ghana working on STAND limbs

A remarkable UK charity is preparing to embark on an ambitious nationwide mission that could transform the lives of thousands of amputees across sub-Saharan Africa.

STAND has announced its "Legs on Tour 2026" appeal, which will see its team travel across the UK from 3-6 August collecting unwanted prosthetic leg components from prosthetic centres. 

Rather than allowing these high-quality components to be discarded, they will be refurbished and shipped to clinics across sub-Saharan Africa, where they will be fitted to people who would otherwise have little or no chance of receiving a prosthetic limb.

The charity highlights a stark global imbalance. While many prosthetic legs in countries such as the UK are retired after use despite remaining in excellent condition, millions of amputees in low-income African nations have no access to prosthetic care at all. 

It's estimated up to 95% of amputees in these countries are unable to obtain a prosthetic limb, leaving many unable to work, attend school or fully participate in everyday life.

For those affected, the consequences extend far beyond mobility. The inability to walk often limits education, employment and independence, trapping individuals and families in a cycle of poverty. By giving someone the opportunity to walk again, organisations like STAND can also help restore confidence, dignity and economic opportunity.

RTA survivor Catherine from Ghana

To ensure the tour reaches as many collection points as possible, STAND is aiming to raise £20,000. The first £2,000 donated will be matched pound for pound by leading prosthetics manufacturer Blatchford, effectively doubling the value of early contributions. The funds will help cover the costs of collecting, refurbishing and transporting prosthetic components, as well as providing rehabilitation support to amputees receiving their new limbs.

Since being founded 12 years ago, STAND has already helped thousands of people regain their mobility across sub-Saharan Africa through the provision of prosthetic legs and rehabilitation services. Earlier this year, the charity strengthened its international impact through a partnership with French NGO Nav'Solidaire to expand the refurbishment and delivery of donated prosthetic legs throughout Africa.

Paralympic gold medallist Richard Whitehead MBE has thrown his support behind the appeal, describing mobility as something that transforms confidence, independence and opportunity. His endorsement underlines the life-changing difference that access to a prosthetic limb can make.

If you, a family member or someone you know has an unused prosthetic leg component, or if you would simply like to support the appeal financially, further information about donating equipment or making a contribution can be found at STAND's Legs on Tour 2026 appeal.

Sometimes, giving someone the chance to stand really does help them take the next step towards a brighter future.

https://www.stand.ngo

A lifeline for rural amputees: UK charity STAND opens a major prosthetics centre in The Gambia

UK prosthetics charity STAND has renovated and opened a new rehabilitation centre in The Gambia, West Africa, marking a major step forward in providing prosthetic legs to rural amputees.

STAND supplies refurbished prosthetic legs to The Gambia, donated from across the globe. 

Locating this new centre in the heart of the country gives rural amputees direct access to these precious prosthetic limbs, as well as more responsive follow-up care and more reliable rehabilitation services.

The project has been driven by STAND, working in close partnership with The Gambia’s Ministry of Health, with financial support coming from STAND’s key supporters like The British School of Paris. The collaboration reflects a global commitment to strengthening and improving prosthetic care for amputees.

Before the centre, amputees travelled hundreds of miles to be fitted with a leg, as the main rehabilitation centre is located in the capital. STAND and its partners also funded outreach programmes which visited rural towns by car. While these visits were essential, it clearly was not an efficient or sustainable model.

STAND’s Trustee Lucy Gates, The Gambia’s Director of the Department of Social Welfare Allaye Barra, the Gambian press, STAND’s Gambian staff, and the community attended the opening.

Tom Williams OBE, founder of STAND told That's Health: “This centre brings prosthetic and rehabilitation services within reach of people who have been excluded for too long. Distance should never determine who gets to walk again. 

"When mobility is restored, the barriers that once limited amputees begin to disappear, opening the door to walking, working, and truly thriving.”

Giles Bates, Head of Community and Service at The British School of Paris added: “A prosthetic limb can give a child an education, friends and a future filled with hope. We hope that the BSP's contribution towards STAND's new rehabilitation centre in Bansang in The Gambia will help make this a reality for the local community.”

https://www.stand.ngo