From Recovery to Recording: Stu Mendelson Announces ‘We’re Still Here’
Music has become an important part of Stu Mendelson’s journey towards rebuilding his life. Now, the former Royal Engineer is preparing to release ‘We’re Still Here’, an original single that turns his personal experiences into a shared message from the Armed Forces community. Arriving on 11 November 2026 at 11:00am, the Armistice Day release will launch a bid for the Christmas No.1 spot.
Mendelson was seriously injured in Afghanistan in December 2009, losing his right eye and spending several weeks completely blind before recovering sight in his left eye. Following his service, he experienced PTSD, mental health difficulties and addiction. Since becoming clean and sober in 2023, he has channelled his experiences into supporting other veterans, including through The Muster Point, the Stevenage-based community organisation he co-founded to reduce isolation and help people connect with support.
Songwriting has offered another way to process his experiences and communicate his feelings. For ‘We’re Still Here’, Mendelson wrote, composed and arranged the track, took on lead vocals and brought together veterans from The Muster Point and Veterans in Crisis Sunderland with singers from Chicksands and Henlow Military Wives Choirs. He has personally funded and organised the release, taking responsibility for the project from writing through to distribution.
The single acknowledges that Christmas can be difficult for people facing loss, loneliness or personal struggles, while emphasising the value of friendship and community. Money generated will help support the organisations involved. For Mendelson, who had never imagined writing and performing an original Christmas single, the release marks a new creative direction rooted in his continuing commitment to fellow veterans and their families.
