New name, New Image, Same Support

It started with a realisation that the jigsaw piece logo, which represented us for 18 years, was no longer appropriate. For too many people the jigsaw piece has negative connotations, so we decided it was time for something new. We worked with a graphic designer to create something fun, exciting and dynamic, that would be eye-catching and meaningful to our purpose and to the children we support. 

When we started this, we also realised that ‘Lothian Autistic Society’ as a name was similarly outdated, and no longer reflected who we are and what we do. At the outset the charity was a ‘society’, with an active, engaged membership. Today, we have many separate services, each with different individuals attending with no requirement for membership. Many people also felt uncomfortable being associated with the label, ‘autistic’. We are still focussed on supporting people with autism, but we also know that each person faces a range of different challenges and wanted to reflect that variety of experience in our name. 

Taking all this together we looked for a name that better reflected our purpose and our services. Our aim is to provide social opportunities for children and young people, to give them chances to grow, develop, build friendships and to have fun in many different settings. Branch Out Together reflects the idea of moving on in multiple directions, with friends and peers who are sharing the journey. This, and the associated images of children and young people doing things together is a better reflection of our purpose.  

We look forward to many more years of supporting your children, as we always have, under our new image.