Old name, new purpose: why we’ve gone back to RNID

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Old name, new purpose: Action on Hearing Loss becomes RNID again

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Hey, it’s the team at RNID here. We’ve recently gone back to our old, much-loved name after a decade as Action on Hearing Loss. We wanted to tell you why.

The return to the household name, which dates back to 1911, is part of our ambitious plans to reach more of the 1 in 5 adults in the UK who are deaf or have hearing loss and the 1 in 7 adults who have tinnitus.

The focus on the daily issues deaf people have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the barriers to communication caused by face coverings, has highlighted the need for us to be a stronger brand.

We carried out research with 6,000 people which led to our new strategy and brand purpose, which is that “Together, we will make life fully inclusive for deaf people and those with hearing loss or tinnitus.”

The research found that RNID was still more popular and more trusted by you, despite the name not being used since 2011. You told us that the current brand did not reflect the charity’s history or communicate the amazing work we do.

Here’s a message from Mark Atkinson, our Chief Executive:

“Returning to RNID and redefining our purpose is a critically important step in our journey to make life more inclusive for deaf people and those with hearing loss and tinnitus. RNID continues to be a well-known and much-loved charity and I am proud that we have the confidence to make bold and radical changes which are crucial to our ambition to grow our audience reach and impact.

RNID will be a stronger voice for deaf awareness and invest in campaigning for change. We will connect people to the information and advice they need. And we will continue to fund new treatments for hearing loss and tinnitus. 

Our new purpose, name and identity is 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.” 

(Our registered name remains The Royal National Institute for Deaf People but you can call us RNID.)

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