A global type 1 diabetes charity has changed its name as part of a bid to more accurately represent the organisation’s work and the community it serves.
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, which supports type 1 diabetes research and people affected by the condition globally, has changed its name to Breakthrough T1D.
Type 1 diabetes used to be known as juvenile diabetes, due to it being frequently diagnosed in young children, but the term is no longer used by clinicians because 88 per cent of people living with the condition are adults, the charity said.
“As juvenile diabetes is no longer a term used by clinicians, it’s right that we reflect on our language and use recognised terms,” it said.
A spokesperson for the charity said that in-depth consultation with people affected by the condition in the US and its affiliate countries, which include the UK, showed that its former name “wasn’t perceived […] as being an accurate representation of who we are and what we do”.
The term T1D was chosen as part of the new name because it is both used and recognised by people living with the condition, the charity said, which will help the organisation to address stigma and misconceptions about type 1 diabetes.
“While our mission remains the same, how we communicate must align with who we are now and the incredible breakthroughs we are advancing for everyone in the T1D community,” the spokesperson said.
The charity has also introduced a new logo, which it said “represents breakthroughs, both big and small” by showing the charity’s new name physically breaking through a sunburst.
The logo retains the charity’s blue brand colour, which is a colour commonly used to represent diabetes.
The charity’s new branding has been unveiled today in the US, and will be rolled out in the UK with a “high-profile awareness campaign” in October, the charity said.
The campaign will feature people living with type 1 diabetes sharing their experiences, a spokesperson for the charity said.
The main investment for the global brand review was made by the US-based international arm of the charity, which partnered with the branding agency Siegal & Gale and “spent proportionately for a change of this scale”, the spokesperson said.
Within the UK, the charity will spend £265,000 changing its assets and channels, the spokesperson added, which will support the advertising campaign planned for October.
Karen Addington, chief executive of JDRF in the UK, said: “This new brand clearly expresses JDRF’s global role in spearheading its research endeavour to prevent, treat and cure type 1 diabetes, while making everyday life better for the people who face it.
“Today, we are opening doors that were once closed by diagnosis and people with T1D are living healthier, longer lives. Tomorrow, we will make this condition a thing of the past, by accelerating research and driving innovation forward.”