As an organisation, RDA UK and RDA groups have always evolved to meet the needs of the disabled people we serve – and now, we want to be able to share the incredible impact that RDA groups have with the biggest possible audience. 

We are updating our brand to ensure it remains fit for the future. This is not about changing our name and who we are, but about making sure the way we position and present ourselves – to funders, partners, participants, and the wider public – reflects both our proud history and who we are today. 

This work is now vital because the context in which we operate is changing rapidly – funding is harder to secure, costs are rising and yet demand for our services is higher than ever. In this context it is important that RDA is well-known and prominent in the public eye and engaging and trusted by our supporters 

Our brand must evolve to help us respond to this changing context. Currently, our brand does not easily reflect the impact of our work, and it does not emotionally connect with people the way it could.  

However, we are not starting from scratch. This work builds on the strong foundation of the 2019 brand research, which included extensive consultation across the federation.  

A key outcome from that process was a decision not to change our name, but instead to focus on the power and recognition of the initials ‘RDA.’ 

Now, we are taking that work further. Our approach will: 

• Use insight gained in 2019 as a foundation. 

• Complement this with updated engagement from our community, as well as gaining external insight.  

• Draw on our soon-to-be-published Impact Report, ensuring that the brand we build reflects the real difference RDA makes, and the value of what we offer. 

Our aim is to develop a brand that helps us all express our purpose with clarity and consistency; whilst making clear the urgency and need of our work – unlocking the awareness, understanding and support we need to thrive in the years ahead. 

To be clear, brand is about more than a new logo – it is about developing our brand as a long-term strategic tool to fuel success. The foundations of this are a clearer, stronger articulation of who we are, why we exist, what we do and why it matters, that align with our strategic intent, amplify our voice and makes it easier for everyone to understand us; and run through everything we do, from our products and services to our culture, innovation, fundraising and marketing communications.  

A stronger, more emotionally engaging brand will:  

• Help us become a great fundraising organisation – diversifying and increasing our income and audiences.  

• Make us and our cause more distinct and a higher priority for decision makers.  

• Give us a stronger story to tell that engages even more supporters, volunteers, funders, and partners.  

• Make a clearer connection between the national charity and RDA groups across the country, showcasing the scale of our impact. 

• Help make us more accessible and inclusive. 

We are working with Red Stone, an expert branding and creative agency, to develop our new brand. There will be opportunities to be part of the process and share feedback.  

This rebrand will help us tell our story clearly, demonstrate how our work is changing lives for the better and inspire even more people to join us.  

This is an important and exciting stage in RDA’s development – and we look forward to collaborating with our community to shape a brand that proudly represents who we are and where we are going. 

We want our brand to be shaped by the people who support, work with, and champion our mission. Therefore, we will be seeking input and feedback, from a range of voices, over the coming weeks and months. As such, we will be calling on members of our community to get involved in a number of ways – from helping our agency partner get under the skin of RDA through initial focus groups; to sharing your feedback as we develop our new visual identity via surveys and other feedback mechanisms; to helping us shape the implementation plan so we can develop  a suite of branded resources that will benefit all of us across RDA. 

We aim to launch our new brand in the spring of 2026. We will take a phased approach to introducing the new brand, maintaining the RDA name throughout, to ensure a smooth transition, and to minimise waste and additional costs. 

We look forward to collaborating with you on the project and will publish updates on My RDA to keep everyone informed on progress. You can contact comms@rda.org.uk for further information.