A Scottish children’s charity has tweaked its name as part of a rebrand and declared a “childhood emergency” in the country.
Last week, Children First launched a refreshed brand that it said intends to highlight the plight of Scotland’s children and emphasise that it is here to protect them from harm.
The charity, previously known as Children 1st, worked with brand agency Stand to develop its positioning and film production agency High Tide to produce its brand film.
Children First, which recorded a total income of £14.2m for the year ending 31 March 2023, said that the rebrand cost £50,000 and that it also had pro-bono support.
The rebrand comes after Children First published a survey which found that most adults believe growing up in the country is worse than ever before.
Brand ‘shines light on challenges children face today’
Children First’s director of fundraising, marketing and communications Michelle Supple told Civil Society: “Our new brand affirms that we’re here to protect all of Scotland’s children from harm.
“It was developed after brand awareness research showed that while we’re well known and have an excellent reputation among stakeholders and partners, we have work to do to raise awareness among the public.”
She said that the refreshed brand “keeps our purpose at its core, as it shines a light on the challenges children face today and offers them hope for the future”.
“To help us reach a wider audience and be there for anyone worried about a child in Scotland, we’re bringing together our parentline [a free support helpline] and financial wellbeing teams to become one holistic service, promoting it as the Children First support line,” she said.
Supple said the lowercase i in the charity’s new logo represents a child living in an adult’s world and the pressures and challenges they face as a result.
“The typeface was specifically chosen for its distinctive characters and details between its letterforms, which represent our beacon of hope,” she added.
‘We must adapt and evolve’
Supple said the brand must reflect the fact that children are now facing “unprecedented challenges”.
“We must adapt and evolve to meet the needs of a new generation. Our campaign will shine a light on the challenges young people face in Scotland but also give them hope for a brighter future,” she said.
“By being bolder and braver, we can make life better for children. We need people to know who to turn to if they’re worried about a child in Scotland and raise the much-needed donations required to continue our lifesaving work.”
Maggie Croft, managing partner at Stand, said: “Children First have been protecting children across Scotland for 140 years, but the problems facing children today are unique, and only getting worse.
“It was time to be bold. We helped Children First position themselves as both the experts with the authority to help change national systems and policies, and the compassionate professionals working directly with children in local communities.”
‘Our work is more vital than ever’
Scottish online research panel ScotPulse surveyed over 1,200 adults in September on behalf of Children First.
It found that 63% of adults believe childhood is worse for children in Scotland today than in the past, with only one in five believing that childhood is better now.
Commenting on the findings, Children First’s chief executive Mary Glasgow declared “a childhood emergency in Scotland”.
She said: “Our work is more vital than ever. All children should have hopes, dreams, prospects and opportunities. But, for many, they simply don’t exist. That’s why we’ll do whatever it takes to help children and give them hope for a brighter future.”
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