A Bedfordshire resident, is hoping to make an impact on this year's Christmas music charts with an original single that brings together veterans, military families and singers from across the UK.
Former British Army Royal Engineer and co-founder of veterans' organisation The Muster Point, Stu Mendelson, is preparing to release ‘We're Still Here’ on 11th November 2026 at 11 am, marking Armistice Day.
The song brings together veterans from The Muster Point in Hertfordshire, Veterans in Crisis Sunderland and members of Military Wives Choirs, including singers from the Chicksands and Henlow choirs.
Written, composed and arranged by Mendelson, the track has an ambitious goal of reaching the UK Christmas No.1 spot while raising awareness of the challenges faced by former service personnel and their families.
A personal story behind the music
Mendelson, who lives in Bedfordshire, has experienced first-hand some of the difficulties faced by military veterans.
He joined the British Army in 2005 and served with the Royal Engineers. In December 2009, while deployed in Afghanistan, he was seriously injured by a Taliban improvised explosive device, losing his right eye and temporarily losing his sight.
Following his departure from the Army, he experienced PTSD, mental health difficulties and addiction. After becoming clean and sober in 2023, he began focusing on supporting others facing similar challenges.
He co-founded The Muster Point, a veterans' community organisation based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, which aims to reduce isolation by bringing former service personnel together and helping them access support.
His latest project reflects another important development in his personal journey: discovering music and songwriting as a way to express himself and connect with others.
Speaking about the latest project, he stated:
"I first put pen to paper back in January, and it's been a long but incredibly rewarding journey to get to this point.
"What started as an idea has grown into something far bigger than I ever imagined. Bringing together veterans from Stevenage and Sunderland, alongside the incredible Military Wives Choir from Chicksands and Henlow, has been an absolute privilege.
"As a former soldier, I know that for many of us, the battles don't end when wars do. That's really what this song is about, reminding people that we're still here and that our voices deserve to be heard.
"We haven't got big names or big budgets behind us. Just a group of ordinary people who have come together to create something pretty special.
"If we can take those voices all the way to Christmas Number One, what an incredible achievement that would be for the entire Armed Forces community."
Bringing the armed forces community together
‘We're Still Here’ is not simply a solo musical project. Mendelson wanted veterans and military families to be directly involved in creating the recording.
The collaboration features veterans from Hertfordshire and Sunderland alongside singers from Military Wives Choirs, recognising the experiences of those who serve and the families who support them.
The song carries an important message: although military conflicts may disappear from the headlines, the challenges experienced by veterans and their families do not necessarily end when service is over.
For Mendelson, the Christmas period also provides an opportunity to highlight loneliness, isolation and the importance of having a supportive community.
Last year's Christmas project
The idea follows Mendelson's previous festive project, ‘Do They Know It's Muster Time?’, a military-themed adaptation of Band Aid's ‘Do They Know It's Christmas?’.
What began as a light-hearted idea developed into a musical campaign that received approval from Sir Bob Geldof and reached No.60 on the iTunes chart.
Inspired by that experience, Mendelson decided to create an entirely original song for Christmas 2026, taking on the writing, composition and lead vocals himself.
He hopes the new single will reach a much wider audience and encourage people to recognise the ongoing experiences of the Armed Forces community.
Supporting three organisations
Money generated by the record will help support Military Wives Choirs, The Muster Point and Veterans in Crisis Sunderland, contributing towards their work with veterans, military families and the wider Armed Forces community.
The campaign will continue throughout November and December, with the Christmas No.1 ambition at its centre.
For a Bedfordshire resident whose journey has taken him from military service to community advocacy and now songwriting, ‘We're Still Here’ represents an opportunity to turn a personal creative project into a collective message of hope.
‘We're Still Here’ is released on 11th November 2026 at 11 am. More details - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/stumendelson/were-still-here-feat-military-wives-choirs-the-muster-point-veterans--veterans-in-crisis-sunderland-2?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_clink_in_bio
