A British institution for 186 years, the Royal Merchant Navy Education Foundation (RMNEF), recently updated its name, branding and remit in advance of the 2013 Annual General Meeting. Shine Creative’s branding took on the charity’s communications strategies and repositioned the organisation to by more all-encompassing and reinforce the RMNEF’s focus on education.

The charity, formerly known as the Royal Merchant Navy School Foundation, supports the educational needs of the children of Britain’s Merchant Navy seafarers and RNLI lifeboat crew members.

The design work employs colouring that emphasises RMNEF’s long-time association with the Merchant Navy. The branding included not only a new strapline – ‘Education is the foundation’ – but also a revamped digital experience and modernised logo and collateral. Charles Heron-Watson, secretary commander of the RMNEF, says the charity’s role in supporting young people throughout their educational careers will benefit from the rebrand and an enhanced online presence. The new online portal allows for more accessibility and clearer navigation.

Samantha Stokes, creative director at Shine Creative, adds, “For the RMNEF, we were keen to draw on its history, but also to bring the Foundation very much into the 21st Century. We opted for a simple and clean design across the literature and website in order to create a sense of accessibility and fuss-free help. The Foundation’s work has made such a difference to so many young people’s lives, and we are thrilled to have been part of its latest venture.”

The RMNEF was originally the Merchants’ Seamen’s Orphan Asylum and provided housing and educational support to the orphans of Merchant Navy seamen. Though its name and remit have changed and expanded over the years, the organisation’s core purpose of supporting children and education remains its central purpose to this day, one that is well-served by a modernising rebrand.