Berghaus has confirmed details of four new brand ambassadors, adding Rhiane Fatinikun, Zahrah Mahmood, Ed Jackson and Iona Rendall to its team. The new line up is part of the brand’s drive to promote the outdoors as a place for everyone and to highlight the mental health benefits of spending time in the outdoors.
Rhiane Fatinikun is the founder of Black Girls Hike and a campaigner for diversity in the outdoors. Berghaus has been supporting the organisation and will continue to sponsor its projects.
Rhiane Fatinikun says: “Berghaus cares about diversity and backing grass roots organisations in meaningful ways. It’s been great having the brand’s support, and I’m looking forward to announcing some of the amazing projects that we have planned together.”
Known on social media as the Hillwalking Hijabi, Zahrah Mahmood has become a leading figure in driving participation and inclusion for Muslim women in the outdoors. She’ll be working with Berghaus on a range of campaigns and product initiatives.
Zahrah Mahmood says: “I’m so happy to be working with Berghaus. From my initial conversations with the team, they’ve always been genuine and worked to understand me and what I stand for. I hope the partnership will continue to evolve and bring about some exciting projects!”
Quadriplegic Ed Jackson is a former professional rugby player with a passion for the mountains. Despite fracturing multiple vertebrae in his spine in 2017, Ed has since successfully completed numerous outdoor challenges, including walking the Pennine Way to raise money for his Millimetres to Mountains Foundation. Berghaus will support Ed through 2021, including for a trip with Leo Houlding to climb Mont Blanc and an expedition to Himlung Himal, a 7,000m peak in Nepal, which Ed will attempt to summit to fundraise for the construction of a spinal unit in Chitwan Nepal.
Iona Rendall is a nurse, adventurer, and founder of a social enterprise and walking group that helps people enjoy the outdoors. Berghaus will work with Iona to promote her messages around the importance of supporting your mental health to a wider audience.
Janine Hearn, global head of brand for Berghaus, says: “Rhiane, Zahrah, Ed and Iona are all inspirational individuals who epitomise the movement towards increasing diversity in the outdoors today, and the work that each of them does to achieve that is really important.
“Rhiane and Zahrah are at the vanguard in encouraging more people from black and Muslim communities to get into the hills and mountains, and Berghaus has both the resources and the will to help them. Ed demonstrates time and again that physical disability doesn’t have to stop someone from exploring the outdoors, while Iona is a brilliant campaigner on the mental health benefits of getting into nature.
“We’re excited about working with all four of them, and the rest of our athletes and ambassadors, on some major campaigns and product developments. As well as supporting their personal projects, one day soon we hope to bring all of our athletes and ambassadors together to share and discuss ideas and insights.”
Rhiane, Zahrah, Ed and Iona join Berghaus athletes that include Sir Chris Bonington, Mick Fowler, Leo Houlding and Anna Taylor.
Find more content from Berghaus, its athletes and ambassadors at www.instagram.com/berghausofficial.
