Why have we rebranded?

What is changing?  

We have a new name, logo and a new look, informed by people with lived experience of arthritis.    

However, our vision, mission, strategy and values remain the same. We continue to believe in and work towards a future free from arthritis.

Will this affect how donations are used?  

No, donations you make will continue to directly support people living with arthritis across the UK.  

Why are you changing?  

We believe our new name makes our mission unmistakably clear: we are here to help people living with the impact of arthritis across the UK, while we work towards a future free from this devastating condition. 

Given our charity’s important legacy which stretches back almost 90 years, we have not taken this decision lightly. We conducted detailed research and listened to feedback from our community – who make up the 10 million people in the UK living with arthritis. It was clear from this work that there was an opportunity to improve our visibility and influence, and to make our organisation more accessible to those who need our services and support.    

Today too many people are still not receiving the diagnosis, treatment and support they need and are being left affected by unpredictable levels of pain, fatigue, disability, mental health challenges and financial strain on a daily basis.  

As the UK’s leading arthritis charity, we cannot tolerate that. We must be at the heart of driving change with and for people with arthritis and that is why we’ve taken this step to change our name and visual identity.  

With a more recognisable name and visual brand, grounded in the lived experience of people with arthritis, we can ensure more people are aware of the information and support we offer, the world-leading research we fund, and the positive change we create through our campaigns.  

How were people with arthritis involved in the rebrand?  

We tested internally and externally with warm (engaged) and cold (new) audiences as we developed our new branding. Our name was a simple choice – following the convention of other UK-leading charities working in the health and disability space.  

We used a range of different ways to engage our arthritis community, from surveys and focus groups to workshops and one-to-one interviews. In total, 158 people with a connection to arthritis were directly involved in the creative process. We also held messaging workshops with a smaller number of volunteers to make the most of their expertise and understanding of our work and community. We also carried out extensive user testing on our new website and worked directly with 160 people with arthritis to design new information and support online journeys in a series of sessions.  

One audience which is often forgotten when it comes to arthritis are young people living with the condition. Our specialist services team worked with young people and families who had the opportunity to vote on a design for a Young People and Families badge to make sure the brand felt relatable and relevant to them. They were polled anonymously at a range of events covering 0-25 age ranges, and their parents and carers, and gave feedback on their preferences as well as any designs or colours to avoid for young people.   

In addition to this, insight was collected from thousands of people living with arthritis across the UK and this was shared with our creative agency to guide the development of the brand to ensure it was relevant to our community.  

Do I need to change any direct debits/standing order name details?  

In the coming weeks the name on bank statements will automatically update from Versus Arthritis to Arthritis UK.  

Do I need to change my Will leaving a legacy to Versus Arthritis to the new name?  

There is no need to update your Will as an urgent matter – our charity number remains the same, so any gift pledged will still come to Arthritis UK as per your wishes and will move us towards a future free from arthritis. If you do find yourself updating your Will, we advise you to update the charity’s name to Arthritis UK, but it doesn’t need updating immediately.      

How can I help spread the word?  

We’d love your help in getting the word out and in supporting the great work of Arthritis UK!  You can:  

  • Share and like our new website and social media posts on TikTok, Facebook, X, Instagram, BlueSky and LinkedIn  
  • Use our new branded materials  
  • Continue to fundraise and donate  
  • Support our new campaign from 15 October. Keep an eye on this site and social channels for more information.   

If you are new to us, you can also support by:  

  • Volunteering with us  
  • Becoming a member of our Involvement Network  

Who can I contact with questions or feedback?  

For all enquiries reach out to us by phone, email, or post.        

Phone : 0300 790 0400   

Email : enquires@arthritis-uk.org

Address : Arthritis UK, 120 Aldersgate, London, EC1A 4JQ