Say hello to Inflammatory Neuropathies UK

Inflammatory Neuropathies UK's Chief Executive, Rich Collins, on our rebrand:

Well, this is very big news. GAIN is changing its name to Inflammatory Neuropathies UK. This is a significant change for the charity, but one that we think is really important to make sure we can deliver both the objectives of the charity, as well as our long term ambitions and goals. 

So, why are we making this change? 

When I first joined the charity in January last year, changing the name was never part of the plan. In fact I quite liked the name GAIN and the logo. However, what became clear over my first few months is that the name was a bit problematic.

People didn’t link the name to the conditions we supported, and worst of all, some people with conditions other than Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) actually felt excluded. Even when we used the full name (Guillain-Barré and Associated Inflammatory Neuropathies), it was difficult to link the charity to some of the conditions.  

As a result, we spoke to members of the charity and looked at the issue in a bit more detail. The results were that quite a few people didn’t like the name, didn’t relate to it, and felt that it didn’t represent that. Obviously, our members come first, and reaching more people is our biggest challenge and my highest priority. So I spoke with the Board and we decided to undertake a Branding

Exercise. 

Promotions will feature pops of colour to draw the eye

What we did 

We pulled together a working group of members, volunteers, partners, clinicians, board members, and staff members and asked them what they liked and didn’t like about the identity of the charity. We also asked about what they wanted to see from the charity’s identity and brand.

What became clear was that the current name and branding wasn’t representative of the charity today. People told us they didn’t understand the name or logo, that it was hard to find, and that they thought it was time for a change.  

With that in mind we workshopped some names (including GAIN) with same group. We didn’t want to know which one people liked best, but which one was best for the charity. 

How an outdoor advert may look

Why Inflammatory Neuropathies UK? 

Quite simply, Inflammatory Neuropathies UK was the most popular of the names that were suggested. People felt that it was professional, that it explained what we did and who we represented, that it was inclusive to all the conditions we supported, and that it was something they could get behind. 

We understand that no-one is going to be diagnosed with an Inflammatory Neuropathy, and that our biggest issue is that the names of the conditions we support are complex and cover around 40 different diagnoses. However, Inflammatory Neuropathies is the overarching aim, and clinicians tell us that this is the best to work with. 

How socials may look

Making the change 

Our board of trustees, our medical advisory board, and our voting members all agreed that we should change the charity name to Inflammatory Neuropathies UK, and as of 1st May 2025, to mark the start of GBS and CIDP Awareness Month, we have officially become Inflammatory Neuropathies UK. 

Such a big change is going to take a while to fully embed. I’m sure all of us will use the wrong name from time to time as we get used to it, but hopefully you will agree that this is an amazing opportunity to reach more people, develop the charity, and provide better and more inclusive support to the community. 

This is not the first time that the charity has made a change. Forty years ago, Glennys Saunders started up the Guillain-Barré Syndrome Support Group (GBSSG). 28 years later, GBSSG transformed into Guillain-Barré and Associated Inflammatory Neuropathies (GAIN).

Now, we build on that legacy further by evolving again into Inflammatory Neuropathies UK. It may be a change of name, but it certainly isn’t a change in the scope of the charity. We are still here to support everyone impacted by Inflammatory Neuropathies, to raise awareness of these life-altering conditions, to fund and undertake research into them, and to campaign for and advocate for the Inflammatory Neuropathies community. 

Keep an eye on the new website at www.inflammatoryneuropathies.uk and our socials @InflamNeuroUk as we make the changes and publish new resources and materials. You can still reach the office on 01529 469910 or you can email us on the new office email address hello@inflammatoryneuropathies.uk  

This is a really exciting time for the charity, and I hope you will join me in saying a fond farewell to the name GAIN, but a big hello to Inflammatory Neuropathies UK.