Vote for TNA UK. We have been nominated in the National Diversity Awards Community Organisation Award for Disability. Please vote for TNA UK and help make trigeminal neuralgia, facial pain, invisible illness and hidden disability visible.
The National Diversity Awards celebrate people and organisations working to promote diversity and inclusion. Their Community Organisation Award recognises groups, charities and voluntary organisations that make an outstanding contribution locally or nationally, with diversity as their core focus. The award categories include the Community Organisation Award for Disability. Voting closes on 20 May 2026.
Vote for TNA UK
HERE
https://www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/awards-2026/nominations/trigeminal-neuralgia-association-uk/
What award is TNA UK nominated for?
TNA UK is a nominee for the National Diversity Awards Community Organisation Award for Disability.
This matters because trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain often remain invisible. Many people look well while living with pain that affects eating, speaking, sleeping, washing, working, confidence, relationships, independence and family life.
For that reason, this nomination gives our community a chance to be seen.
How to vote for TNA UK
Voting is simple and only takes a moment.
Click the voting link:
CLICK HERE TO VOTE
Next, press Vote now.
Then add your name and email address.
After that, write a short reason for voting.
Finally, tick the privacy consent box and press submit.
That is all you need to do.
Your reason does not need to be long. It does not need to sound perfect either. A few honest sentences are enough.
What should I write in the reason box?
Please write in your own words because genuine votes are the strongest.
You may want to mention TNA UK’s helpline, e-helpline, Regional Support Groups, webinars, conferences or patient voice work.
You could also explain why trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain need more public awareness.
Alternatively, you may want to say why invisible illness and hidden disability should be better understood.
Some people may wish to write about how TNA UK helps people feel less alone, better informed and more supported.
Others may want to mention why families, carers, clinicians and friends need to understand TN better.
Please do not copy someone else’s wording. Instead, use your own experience, your own concern or your own reason for supporting TNA UK.
Why this nomination matters
I am thrilled that TNA UK is part of the National Diversity Awards this year.
This is a proud moment for the charity. More importantly, it gives the whole trigeminal neuralgia community a chance to be seen.
The NHS describes trigeminal neuralgia as sudden, severe facial pain. It often feels like a sharp shooting pain or an electric shock in the jaw, teeth or gums. The NHS also says that living with trigeminal neuralgia can have a significant impact on quality of life, including problems such as weight loss, isolation and depression.
For too long, people living with trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain have had to explain why invisible pain is still real pain.
This nomination helps change that.
Why am I asking you to vote
At TNA UK, we know how much visibility matters. We hear from people living with trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain who feel isolated, misunderstood or unseen.
I also understand this personally, as someone living with bilateral trigeminal neuralgia.
TNA UK provides information, support and encouragement to people affected by trigeminal neuralgia. Its work includes helpline support, e-helpline support, Regional Support Groups, webinars, conferences, awareness work and patient voice.
A vote for TNA UK is not only a vote for an organisation.
It is a vote for every person who has felt alone, frightened, unheard or disbelieved because of facial pain.
It also supports families trying to understand what their loved one is going through.
Above all, it tells people living with invisible pain that they matter.
Why TN belongs in the Disability strand
TNA UK fits the Community Organisation Award for Disability because trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain can be disabling even when others cannot see the condition.
Some people struggle to eat, speak, work, travel, socialise or leave home because they fear pain attacks. As a result, many have to change how they live, work and plan their days.
This is why invisible illness and hidden disability need recognition.
The Disability strand gives TNA UK a platform to say something simple and important: a person does not have to look unwell to need understanding, support, reasonable adjustment or compassion.
Why TN is sometimes called the “suicide disease”
Trigeminal neuralgia is sometimes called the “suicide disease” because the pain can be so severe. We should never use that phrase casually. However, it reflects the seriousness of the condition and the distress some people experience.
TNA UK’s message is not despair. It is support, dignity and connection.
We want every person living with trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain to know this: your pain is real, you are not alone and your voice matters.
If you feel at immediate risk or unable to keep yourself safe, call 999 or go to A&E. For emotional support, you can contact Samaritans on 116 123. TNA UK also provides support through its Freephone helpline and e-helpline.
What TNA UK does
TNA UK supports people living with trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain through information, helpline support, e-helpline support, Regional Support Groups, webinars, conferences, awareness work and patient voice.
Our TNA UK helpline gives people somewhere to turn when they feel isolated or unsure where to start.
Through our Regional Support Groups, people can connect with others who understand trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain.
What is trigeminal neuralgia? The page explains the condition and its impact.
In addition, our TNA UK news and patient-voice work raise awareness of the reality of living with TN.
Our Toothache or trigeminal neuralgia? The article also helps explain why facial pain can be misunderstood or mistaken for dental pain.
Making invisible pain visible
TNA UK has worked hard to make trigeminal neuralgia visible.
Through awareness work such as Face of TN and Show TN 3 Fingers, the charity has helped create a stronger public identity for facial pain. This matters because people are more likely to seek support when they can name the condition, explain it and see others speaking about it.
Awareness is not decoration. It helps people feel less alone.
When people vote for TNA UK, they help push trigeminal neuralgia further into public view.
Vote today and share the link
Please vote for TNA UK here:
CLICK HERE TO VOTE
Once you have voted, please share the link with friends, family, support groups, colleagues, clinicians, carers, volunteers and anyone who cares about invisible illness, hidden disability and patient voice.
Every vote helps.
Every share helps.
Together, we can make trigeminal neuralgia more visible.
Please help us make TN visible
TNA UK is a nominee. Now it is up to all of us.
Please vote for every person living with facial pain who has felt unseen.
Please vote for every family trying to understand.
Most of all, please vote for every person who has had to explain that invisible pain is still real pain.
Vote for TNA UK here:
Thank you for standing with TNA UK and everyone living with trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain.
Aneeta Prem
CEO, TNA UK
FAQs
What award is TNA UK nominated for?
TNA UK is a nominee for the National Diversity Awards Community Organisation Award for Disability.
What are the National Diversity Awards?
The National Diversity Awards celebrate people and organisations working to promote diversity and inclusion. Their Community Organisation Award recognises groups, charities and voluntary organisations that make an outstanding contribution locally or nationally, with diversity as their core focus.
How do I vote for TNA UK?
Click the voting link, press Vote now, enter your details, write a short reason for voting, tick the privacy consent box and submit your vote.
What should I write when I vote?
Write a few honest sentences in your own words. You could mention TNA UK’s support, helpline, Regional Support Groups, webinars, patient voice work, hidden disabilities and invisible illnesses, or why trigeminal neuralgia needs more awareness.
Can I copy someone else’s voting reason?
No. Please write in your own words. Genuine votes are stronger and more credible.
Why does voting for TNA UK matter?
Voting for TNA UK helps make trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain more visible. It also supports a wider understanding of invisible illness and hidden disability.
What is trigeminal neuralgia?
Trigeminal neuralgia is sudden, severe facial pain. The NHS says it often feels like a sharp shooting pain or an electric shock in the jaw, teeth or gums.
Aneeta Prem, London, 16 May 2026
National Diversity Awards voting page:
https://www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/awards-2026/nominations/
National Diversity Awards award categories:
https://www.nationaldiversityawards.co.uk/awards-2026/
NHS trigeminal neuralgia overview:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/trigeminal-neuralgia/
Samaritans:
https://www.samaritans.org/