Afghanistan veteran Andy Reid launches clothing range to support mental health and addiction support services

Afghanistan veteran Andy Reid has launched his own clothing brand with a logo inspired by the mountain he became the first triple amputee to conquer last year.

The sportswear created for the Andy Reid Standing Tall Foundation bears the name of the organisation and an outline of the summit of Kilimanjaro, which the 45-year-old from St Helens climbed in October. 

All profits from the clothing range will go towards providing the foundation’s mental health and addiction support services.

Andy said:

“The logo symbolises that we all have our OWN mountain to conquer, whether it be our mental health, physical health, addiction issues, or just general life challenges.

“And we can face them and defeat them, and not let them defy us!”

Standing Tall worked with local St Helens based clothing brand Merakilo to design the simple yet powerful logo along with the range of t-shirts, leggings, sweatshirts, and more, for men, women and children.

The ethos behind the branding and the mountain is to represent the epic challenge that Andy faced when he became the first triple amputee to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro. But Andy decided to create the range of merchandise to represent not only his own personal challenges and the adversity that he has overcome, but also to symbolise the challenges in life that other people have to face and defeat.

It was the second time father-of-two Andy had climbed the 19,341ft mountain in Tanzania.

The first time was in 1999 as a young, fit soldier, while he was serving for the 3^rd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment in Northern Ireland.

But it was a totally different, and far more gruelling, ordeal he faced in 2022, after losing both legs and his right arm when he stood on a booby trap bomb in Helmond Province in October 2009.

Since then, Andy has become an inspirational figure, giving hope to others to overcome their difficulties, and raising thousands for the Standing Tall Foundation which he founded to support young carers, the vulnerable, and care leavers, and which offers mental health support to anyone who needs it both in the local community and beyond.

After climbing Kilimanjaro Andy said:

“Doing things like this makes you a better person, a stronger person and shows what you can achieve.

“I am just always trying to be the best version of myself that I can be and if it changes just one person’s life for the better then it will have been worthwhile.”

For more info on the Standing Tall Foundation click here, and if you would like to check out the clothing range to support mental health click here.