The drug, alcohol and mental health charity Addaction is changing its name to “We Are With You”, rebranding and launching a new website, it announced today.
The focus of the rebrand is on using “non-judgmental” language that makes it easier for people to ask for help. The charity said it works with people as “equal partners” in their recovery and that the old name did not do enough to reflect this approach.
As part of the 18-month process, the charity surveyed people who use or might use its services, and three times as many respondents said they would choose We Are With You compared to Addaction.
The visuals were designed by Scottish-based studio Touch, while the new website, which will launch on 26 February, was created by the charity in-house.
The whole process, from initial research to final roll-out, cost the charity £140,000, which is approximately 0.2 per cent of its annual income of £67.2m.
Language can be a barrier to people seeking help
Laura Bunt, acting chief executive of Addaction, said: “Through changing our name to We Are With You and creating a new visual identity and website, we hope to be more accessible to people who use or might use our services.
“Our research shows that language around addiction can in itself be a huge barrier to people seeking help. As We Are With You, we will use everyday language and focus on the help we offer, not the problem.
“Our new name also better reflects the ethos and history of our services and how we work with people as equal partners.
“At a time when millions of people are experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol and mental health and often going without help, we want to make it as easy as possible for people to take the first step in getting support.”
In 2018-19 the charity had an income of £67.2m, down from £73.4m in the previous year.
In its annual accounts, the charity said many of its services faced local funding reductions and that it decided to hand some of its contracts back because they “were no longer financially viable”.
In September 2019, Addaction faced staff strikes over pay issues in Wigan after staff were transferred from the NHS to the charity. The union accused the charity of failing to keep its promise to keep workers’ pay rises in line with those of NHS employees.
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