Generations Review provides a dynamic forum for sharing ideas, good practice, policy developments and research between BSG members at all stages of their ‘ageing’ career. It aims to enable all BSG members to engage with and discuss current developments in the field of ageing and to promote our shared aim of improving the lives of older people through our contributions to research, practice, policy and education. To reflect the diverse areas of research, policy and practice represented by BSG members, Generations Review is divided into the following sections:

News and Reviews: News and views from BSG members that includes:
• up-to-date news of members;
• BSG news;
• reports from conferences and other events;
• reports on policy developments, current research and changing practice

What’s On: Advertisements of future events, conferences and seminars etc. of interest to BSG members.

Profile: A BSG member, an ageing organisation and/or research centre is profiled every issue.

Research: A forum to present up-to-date research and methodological developments in ageing research. This includes:
• presentations of research findings;
• current research being undertaken by BSG members;
• postgraduate research;
• abstracts of recently completed PhDs.

Policy and Practice: A forum to facilitate discussion and share information about key developments in policy and practice in the area of ageing.

Education and Careers: A forum to discuss developments in teaching and learning in ageing and social gerontology and to explore how membership of the BSG can promote and support members at all stages of their career.

Being involved

The co-editors welcome:
• any ideas for contributions;
• items of news;
• BSG related advertisements;
• articles for consideration in the newsletter.

The dates for submission for each copy of Generations Review are:
15th December for the January issue
15th March for the April issue
15th June for the July issue
15th September for the October issue

Submissions may be either short commentaries (up to 500 words) or longer articles (1,500 words maximum). Full references in Harvard style to be included when required. Visual images and graphics are welcomed and any hyperlinks to relevant WebPages, homepages, ageing centres etc. can be included within the on-line format.

Submissions to be sent electronically by e-mail: britishgerontology@yahoo.co.uk

We look forward to hearing from all our BSG colleagues.

Co-editors:

Wendy Martin, Samuel R Nyman, Christina Victor and Veronika Williams

Website Manager:

Rachel Pitman

Further information on BSG website: http://www.britishgerontology.org/

Charity No 264385

The Editorial Team

Wendy Martin is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the School of Health and Social Care, University of Reading, developing a research agenda into the social aspects of ageing. Wendy’s background has involved nursing and contract research, and she has completed a BSc in Sociology and Anthropology at Oxford Brookes University (1996); plus an MA in Sociological Research in Health Care (1999) and a PhD (2007) both from the Department of Sociology, University of Warwick. Wendy’s current research interests and projects include emotions and later life; ageing bodies; perspectives of health, ‘risk’ and ageing in everyday life; families and caring in South Asian communities; people’s experiences of dementia; visual images and risk; food, poverty and place; and perceptions of safety and security. Her key methodological approach is qualitative, participatory and involves the development and use of visual research methods. Wendy is Honorary Secretary of the BSG, a member of the BSG publications group, co-editor of the on-line BSG newsletter Generations Review, and co-convenor of the BSA (British Sociological Association) Ageing, Body and Society study group.

Samuel Nyman is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the School of Health and Social Care, University of Reading. Samuel’s background is in health psychology. He completed a BSc(Hons) in psychology at the University of Portsmouth, and an MSc in research methods and a doctorate at the Centre for Clinical Applications of Health Psychology, University of Southampton. His interest in ageing was discovered during his MSc work on how advice can be made more encouraging for older people to engage with falls prevention. His PhD evaluated a website that he co-designed, in collaboration with an IT company and Help the Aged that provides tailored advice on undertaking strength and balance training. He has conducted a literature review for Help the Aged on communicating falls prevention advice, and in March 2009 completed a project investigating the emotional support needs of people with sight loss, who are mainly older people. He is now working on the EU funded ENABLE project to investigate older people’s views on the usability and acceptability of assistive technology, and in particular a falls detection device. Samuel presented at the 2007 and 2008 BSG conferences, has contributed news pieces for Generations Review, and is currently a co-editor of the on-line BSG newsletter Generations Review.

Rachel Pitman is the Information Officer for the Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of York. She has a masters degree in Library and Information Studies and previously worked for the British Library as a manager in their cataloguing department. At SPRU Rachel works closely with the Adults, Older People and Carers Team who research many issues around the social care needs of older people, particularly how people can exercise choice and control over their lives and maximise their independence and well-being. Rachel has recently taken over the new position of Web Manager for BSG. She is also in charge of the membership database and formats the web pages for Generations Review.

Christina Victor is Professor of Gerontology and Health Services Research and is currently Head of the School of Health and Social Care at the University of Reading. I started my academic career as a geographer with a particular interest in the spatial distribution of health and illness. It was whilst working at the medical school in Cardiff that I discovered my interest in gerontology. My initial interests were about health and health inequalities, an interest I retain, especially the benefits of exercise in later life. More recently I have developed a keen interest in loneliness and isolation! I was one of the ‘founding editors' of Generations Review with Leonie Kellaher. I have been actively involved in the organisation of 3 BSG conferences (Durham, Royal Holloway and Roehampton), I have served on the BSG executive and contributed to a number of BSG publications. At present I am a member of the Editorial team of Generations Review online.

Veronika Williams is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the School of Health and Social Care, University of Reading. Veronika’s background is in nursing and she completed a Bsc (Hons) in Adult Nursing at Oxford Brookes University. Veronika has a particular interest in chronic respiratory conditions and older peoples’ perceptions of activity and environment. She completed her PhD Thesis on the experience of activity in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease at the University of Southampton. At present she is working with Professor Christina Victor on an EU funded project focusing on the user perspective of assistive technology in older age. Veronika is co-editor of the on-line newsletter Generations Review.