We have had a message from Action on Hearing Loss about reverting to its previous name – RNID
I am writing to share some important news with you about our charity. As an important partner, we wanted you to know first, but we would ask you please not to share the news more widely until we’ve gone public on 12th October.
In the UK today, 1 in 5 adults have some form of hearing loss and deaf awareness is on the rise. Inaccessible coronavirus information, face masks and social isolation have made the public think about hearing loss more than ever before.
But although we’re doing a great job of promoting the challenges facing our community, people aren’t as aware of our charity and are less likely to support us. So for the last year and a half we’ve been having a discussion with our communities, our people and our supporters about how we change this.
In response, we’re changing our brand. This means changing the way we look and talk about our charity. We want to be a strong, modern brand with a recognisable and clear identity, helping us to directly reach those people who could benefit from the services we offer them and their families.
A brand is about so much more than a name, but many told us that being called Action on Hearing Loss was holding us back, preferring our old name RNID. Almost a decade after we rebranded, the public are still more aware of RNID than Action on Hearing Loss. And every group we surveyed, from people who are D/deaf, have hearing loss and tinnitus, to staff and volunteers, to supporters and friends and family, trusted the RNID brand more than Action on Hearing Loss.
So this November, we are changing our name from Action on Hearing Loss to RNID. We also have a new purpose: Together, we’ll make life fully inclusive for deaf people and those with hearing loss and tinnitus.
Going back to RNID is a new beginning for us. Our new purpose, name and identity are about making it clearer who we are for and why we exist. Because now, more than ever, it’s vital that people across society understand the challenges deaf people and those with hearing loss and tinnitus face.
We’re sure you will have many questions about these changes and we’ll be more than happy to answer any queries you may have.
Thank you for your support over many years and I hope you are as excited about our future as I am.
Ayla
