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Phil Tunstall is the Director of STAND, a UK-based charity dedicated to repurposing prosthetic limbs to improve lives across Sub-Saharan Africa. From humble beginnings with just a few volunteers, Phil has helped grow STAND into a fully-fledged organisation with teams in the UK, Gambia, and Ghana, creating sustainable opportunities and tangible impact for communities.

“I’ve been with STAND for over a decade,” Phil explains. “I started when the charity was tiny, just a handful of people working from home, and now we have a team of six or seven full-time staff in the UK and more staff overseas. It’s been an incredible journey.”

From Concept to Life-Changing Impact

STAND was founded on a simple but powerful idea by Phil’s friend Tom: refurbish prosthetic legs that are no longer used in the UK and send them to West Africa, where they can dramatically improve mobility and quality of life. In the UK, these prosthetics might end up as clinical waste once a patient no longer needs them. For STAND, they become life-changing tools.

“Some of these knee joints can cost five to six thousand pounds,” Phil says. “They’re incredibly valuable, and the difference they can make in someone’s life is immeasurable.”

STAND doesn’t just ship the limbs. Each part – from the knee to the foot – is carefully refurbished and sent to professional centers in West Africa, where trained clinicians assemble them to fit individual patients. “It’s almost like reverse engineering,” Phil explains. “We dismantle, clean, and prepare the components so that prosthetists can build the right leg for each person.”

Building a Strong, International Team

For Phil, the heart of STAND’s work is its people. “I really love our international team,” he says. “Bringing together colleagues from the UK, Gambia, and Ghana to collaborate on ideas and solutions that change people’s lives is incredibly rewarding.”

Currently, STAND is helping set up a new prosthetic rehabilitation center in the Gambia. The country’s geography and infrastructure mean that many people travel long distances to access care. This new center will be centrally located, reducing travel costs and improving access for hundreds of patients.

Challenges and Opportunities

Like many small charities, STAND faces challenges around funding. “Traditional institutional donors aren’t giving as much support as they used to,” Phil notes. “It’s a tricky landscape, but also an exciting opportunity to rethink how we work and get creative about funding. There’s still plenty of money in the world – it’s just about connecting with the right people.”

Phil also emphasises sustainability and local leadership. “We want STAND’s partners and centers to continue thriving even if we in the UK step back. Too often, organisations invest in individuals rather than structures, and the work collapses when they leave. That’s not what we want – we aim for lasting change.”

Pride and Purpose

Despite the challenges, Phil’s proudest moments come from seeing the impact firsthand. “Meeting the clinicians and amputees in West Africa is always incredible. Seeing the legs we’ve refurbished help people regain mobility is really rewarding.”

Phil balances this global work with life at home in Cornwall, where he lives with his young daughters. While travel has become more limited, he remains deeply connected to the communities STAND serves. “Community is everything to me,” he says. “Even though I’m physically distant, staying connected is essential to making meaningful change.”

A Message to the World

If STAND could shout one message from the rooftops, Phil says it would be about global waste and the need for smarter systems:

“The waste in the West is destroying the planet. Millions of medical devices, crutches, and wheelchairs are discarded every year when they could be refurbished and used again. Our work is just the tip of the iceberg. We need massive systemic and cultural change to truly tackle this problem.”

Through innovative reuse, collaboration, and a focus on local leadership, STAND exemplifies how small organisations can make a big difference while highlighting the urgent need for global responsibility.

Find Out More & Support

Learn more about STAND and the communities they support here: https://STAND.ngo/