East Lancashire Hospice, based in Blackburn, supports individuals with life-limiting illnesses across Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley.
An independent charity, it relies on raising more than £4 million each year to continue delivering vital specialist palliative care. Following our work for North London Hospice, Red Stone was invited to pitch for the rebrand.
Despite its long-standing presence, East Lancashire Hospice faced significant challenges with its brand identity. The existing branding was outdated, with a monochrome photographic logo which was difficult to use and didn’t reflect the hospice’s vision of making the most of life.
Engagement
- Engaged and managed input from stakeholders and in-house team throughout project
Discovery
- Interviews with individual members of staff and trustees
- Workshops with warm participants
- Online survey with warm recipients
Creative
- Tone of voice, brand story and messaging
- Concept development
- Logo creation
- Website design, development, build and style guide
Testing
- Creative testing with online survey
- Brand workshops with staff, volunteers and clients
Delivery
- Logo suite and brand assets
- Brand guidelines planning and creation
- Website build and style guide
Engaging with the community
The rebrand had clear aims: to strengthen recognition, awareness and credibility, while differentiating itself from other hospices in the county. To address this, we collaborated with the hospice and its community. We held workshops with internal teams, ran surveys and interviews with patients, families, volunteers and donors. Through this process we gained new perspectives which helped to shape aspirations for the charity.
A positive, supportive voice
The result was a newly articulated vision, a new brand personality ‘Uplifting companion’ and a positive, supportive tone of voice.
Communicating warmth and positivity
Our strategy focused on building awareness, changing perceptions and creating a relatable, inclusive tone of voice. The hospice sought to foreground real human stories and communicate with warmth and positivity.
Visually, the new identity aims to be flexible across platforms, retaining and adjusting the hospice’s red as a core colour while introducing a more vibrant and accessible palette. The new logo is a stylised interpretation of the Red Rose of Lancashire. Demonstrating that they are at the ‘heart of the community’, four hearts come together to form the flower; each representing the four catchment areas; Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley.
Authentic imagery and sensitive design choices make a brand that ultimately positions East Lancashire Hospice as a professional yet compassionate organisation that connects deeply with its community.
