Billy Loughnane visits Friar Gate Goods Yard to meet Derby’s first Standing Tall success story
Record-breaking jockey, Billy Loughnane, visited us on site at Wavensmere Homes’ £80m Friar Gate Goods Yard restoration in Derby, to see how his £50k donation is helping us recruit and train people who've experienced homelessness.
On Monday, 9th March, Billy Loughnane joined us on site to see the impact of his £50k donation to the Christy Lambe Foundation, and meet Jamie, our latest employee via Standing Tall.
Billy Loughnane donated his entire World Pool prize to the Christy Lambe Foundation in 2024. The foundation used that money to help Standing Tall launch operations in Derby, and now their first candidate in the city is helping us to deliver for Wavensmere Homes on Derby's most historic site, Friar Gate Goods Yard.
When the Standing Tall team first met Jamie, he was sleeping rough in Derby. Today, he has a safe place to live and a permanent, real Living Wage role with us.
Billy spent Monday morning on site with Jamie, Michael Lambe, Christy Acton, CEO of Standing Tall, and Lee Kitchin, Project Manager at Wavensmere Homes. During the visit, Billy said:
"It means the world to support the Christy Lambe Foundation, but the big paper cheque you get on the day doesn't really mean anything to anyone, does it? Being here today, meeting Jamie in person, and seeing how well he's doing makes me feel very proud to be part of it. It's great to see him back on his feet."
Speaking about his journey, Jamie said:
"When I was homeless, I really thought that was it for the rest of my life. But now I've got this opportunity, which I'm very, very thankful for. I keep saying it, but it's just how I feel. The main thing for me is to keep coming to work and keep learning from the lads. So that's what I plan to keep doing.
Outside of work, I'm renting a spare room from my host, Clare. She works for the NHS, and she's been really good to me. She's got a little dog I've been taking out for walks."
Derby Homes figures show the number of people sleeping rough in the city rose from 290 to 473 between 2023 and 2024 — a 63% increase. Social value should solve problems that exist in a community, and this is exactly what Standing Tall's model does.
Christy Acton, founder and CEO of Standing Tall, said:
"Homelessness is notoriously difficult to get out of. Our model works because it's about taking one person at a time and matching them with a job, a home and the right support. Thanks to Billy and the Christy Lambe Foundation, we'll be able to help 15 people into safe homes and stable jobs in Derby over the next year, and that number will continue to grow in the years to come.
127 people in Derby have already registered their interest in becoming a host with us. With national employers like Lidl and Network Rail already on board, we look forward to partnering with more local Derby businesses looking to hire determined and talented people like Jamie."
Michael set up the Christy Lambe Foundation in memory of his brother Christy, who died in 2022 after a long battle with his mental health. He said:
"Billy is a credit to himself and his family. Thanks to his generosity, the Christy Lambe Foundation has been able to bring Standing Tall's proven model to Derby in my late brother Christy's name.
Jamie may be the first success story, but there will be many more, so the impact of Billy's decision will be felt across Derby for years to come.
We've recruited and trained 12 people through the charity so far, and our longest-serving employee through Standing Tall has been with us for four years. With our industry's skills shortage, it makes perfect sense. Candidates have worked hard to rebuild their lives, so they're incredibly loyal and resilient."
