The Story Behind Back Up’s Brand Update
28 January 2026
When developing our Limitless Ambition to Transform Lives 2025–2030 strategy, we spoke to over 500 people affected by spinal cord injury and the feedback was clear:
- People weren’t always able to find us when they needed support.
- Our materials didn’t always feel relevant or accessible to all.
- Clearer communication about what we do was needed.
We’ve been thinking carefully about how to make meaningful changes that respond effectively to this feedback, and we’re excited to share our updated brand with you.
Our community helped shaped this brand update, which we know will help us reach more people, make Back Up more relatable and accessible, and celebrate the Back Up spirit that unites us all. Thank you to each and every one of you who has helped us get to this point.
Read on for a closer look at what’s changing, and why!
What’s being updated
Our brand refresh builds on the key elements that make Back Up, Back Up.
We began by reviewing the way we communicate. Through updating our typography, we’re making our communications more welcoming and readable, and we’re making subtle tweaks to our tone of voice to ensure it is clearer and more focused on the people we support.
You’ll notice a slight shift in how we show up visually. While we’ve retained the Back Up orange, we’ve also expanded our colour palette to give us greater flexibility and build excitement. Our logo keeps the Back Up arrow and now reflects the spark of inspiration, or the light-bulb moment when someone with a spinal cord injury meets someone similarly affected and suddenly realises what might be possible. This is shown by graphic representations of a burst of light: an asterisk, circle, star, arrow, or wheel.
Our imagery will also continue to reflect the breadth of our community, depicting people of different ages, backgrounds, injury levels, and life stages because representation matters. We want everyone to see themselves in Back Up and feel a sense of connection from the very first interaction.
Our approach
We knew it was just as important how we made these changes as what we changed, so being responsible with our resources has been fundamental to every decision.
That’s why we’re rolling the brand update out gradually, refreshing materials as they naturally need replacing and making full use of what we already have. We’re prioritising digital updates first, with print and physical materials following over time.
Our in-house team is leading the rollout, supported by a small team of external collaborators, including Both Associates who went above and beyond to support this launch. We’re spreading out the work so we can manage costs carefully but also learn and adapt as we go.
To measure the success of the brand update, we’ll review community feedback, engagement rates across our channels, and improved consistency across platforms. We will track performance in these key areas over time and make adjustments as needed.
What stays the same
While our brand has been refreshed, our purpose hasn’t changed. We’re steadfast in our mission to deliver services that build confidence, independence, and inspire people affected by spinal cord injury to transform their lives.
That unmistakable Back Up spirit will only get stronger. We’re not changing who we are, we’re simply becoming a clearer, more accessible version of who we’ve always been.
Looking ahead
This refreshed brand positions Back Up for the next chapter in our story. With clearer communication, more accessibility, and stronger identity, we’ll be able to take bold steps towards reaching everyone affected by spinal cord injury.
Your feedback helped spark this journey, and your input will guide where it goes next.
We’d love to hear what you think as these changes roll out! Email us your thoughts at: commsandmarketing@backuptrust.org.uk.
