By Keith Valentine, CEO of Fight for Sight
Finally, after over a year of hard work, we can reveal our new brand to the world.
It’s been quite a journey. As our new website launches, I’ve been reflecting on what makes a brand and why it matters.
One definition of a brand is “any distinctive feature like a name, term, design, or symbol that identifies goods or services.” Functional and accurate: a brand is a wrapper. If done well, it can help you stand out from the crowd – more on that later.
A positive outlook for people living with vision loss
Our brand story goes deeper than that. Rewind to the merger of Fight for Sight and Vision Foundation (completed in 2023). The marriage of two established vision loss charities stemmed from a personal realisation – that when you receive a vision loss diagnosis, you face two profound questions.
“Can this be stopped?”
“How do I live my life?”
I’ve faced those questions – as have generations of my family due to the inherited condition Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP).
In coming together, we’re able to answer both questions positively. Our new mission statement articulates this: “We fund the brilliant minds and bright ideas putting change in sight for everyone impacted by vision loss.”
The scientists we fund are already making breakthroughs that will help us better understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat vision loss. The partnerships we build, and initiatives we support change lives for blind and vision impaired people like me.
We know people who are blind and vision impaired are more likely to face reduced mental health, wellbeing and confidence, as well as lower levels of financial security than the general public.
Charity mergers are rare. Ours was born not of necessity but of the realization that we would be better able to achieve our vision — to "Save Sight. Change Lives".
A values-driven approach
Charity mergers are rare. Ours was born not of necessity but of the realization that we would be better able to achieve our vision—to "Save Sight. Change Lives".
It wasn’t without challenges, but we established a community of colleagues to link arms and face them from the start. That spirit of togetherness is part of our values statement:
“Together, we are bold, tenacious, informed, optimistic.”
Investing in science and social change
We have bold plans. Over five years, we plan to invest almost £30 million in grants for scientific research and social change. Much of the scientific research we fund is at the early stages of the research pathway – we pump prime brilliant scientists with insight and hypotheses that they think will put change in sight. Often, the work we fund unlocks future funding and leads to translational science or clinical trials.
Of course, that comes with an element of risk. We take an informed approach and de-risk our investments with robust processes and governance. But we can be bold and take informed risks because our culture promotes a sense of togetherness and safety – born of that community of colleagues I spoke of earlier.
We know change will take time—that’s where the tenacious bit comes in. We’re determined and driven—I see that in my colleagues, trustees, staff, volunteers, and the fantastic people who fundraise tirelessly for us.
We have good reason to be optimistic. The work we’ve previously funded has already delivered an impact through scientific research or a farm visit we funded, which gave a young person the confidence to reach out and build new connections.
Bringing our vision to life
People often associate a new brand with its visual identity.
As a charity that supports people who are blind and vision impaired, we wanted to ensure that our brand was as inclusive as possible.
The design agency, Studio Texture, brought in an accessibility consultant to support us. Gareth Ford Williams has an excellent pedigree, having worked for the BBC, including on the first iteration of BBC iPlayer.
He was also instrumental in designing the BBC’s bespoke font and ensuring it was accessible to all.
Our logo is distinctive and conveys a message that helps tell our brand story. It represents an eye and an eyelid. The upward curve of the eyelid also represents arms outstretched, denoting our ambition to "Save Sight. Change Lives."
We believe that we can deliver better understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment and that we can improve the lives of people who are blind and vision impaired.
Our chosen font, National, is easily legible. Our bold, standout colour palette was designed with accessibility in mind. Our primary dark and bright blue deliver a contrast that meets AAA accessibility standards.
An inclusive story
The story of who we are comes alive on our website. Designed by YoYo with support from our in-house team, we’ve included accessibility features so people can adjust the colour contrast and font size should they need to do so.
Umbraco – the content management system – enables journeys that serve the needs of supporters, grantees, fundraisers and more. I’m still discovering delights on each visit, be it the story of Paula Long, who is determined to paint for as long as she still can, the group and family funds who work tirelessly for us year after year or the stories of impact, including the Dad’s Army test, which is improving glaucoma diagnosis.
To return to my earlier question – what’s in a brand? I could say “blood, sweat and tears” because getting to this stage has taken a lot of work – and I’m so incredibly proud of the community of colleagues surrounding me. However, the answer is passion and purpose when I ask, 'What’s in our charity's brand?'
We are Fight for Sight and won’t stop until we Save Sight. Change Lives.
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