'For students by students' has always been the accompanying by-line for the Network of Gerontology Students (NOGS). As outgoing Honorary Secretary of the BSG and formerly active member of NOGS, I have been invited to provide a 'potted history'. I have directly and indirectly been involved in NOGS since its formal creation at the BSG Annual Conference hosted by Oxford Brookes University in September 2000.

The origins actually go further back. When I attended my first BSG conference as an MSc student in 1997 in Bristol, I was delighted to find that I could meet fellow students at a special lunch time event, and I know that at every BSG conference since then, there has always been an organised social event, providing postgraduate students with an opportunity to meet. The following year in Sheffield I did not attend as my personal aim at the time was to submit my MSc dissertation that month so that I could start as a PhD student as soon as possible. However, I do know that it was at this conference, that together with others, Ann O'Hanlon and Bettina Becker who at the time were students at the University of Southampton, decided that only meeting at the annual conference was not sufficient, and that more needed to be done. As a consequence the first postgraduate email list was established by Ann and Bettina.

When Bettina completed her PhD and moved on, I joined Ann and together we did our best to make this network a success. In 2000 Khim Horton came on board and the three of us set about the launch of a more formalised network. We wanted to create a greater awareness of both the BSG and the student network, and decided to make 'a bit of a splash' at the BSG conference in Oxford, by holding a competition to find a name for a more formal group. Neither Ann nor I were part of the selection process as we had also contributed suggestions and Khim was tasked to arrange a 'selection committee'. The name chosen from those put forward came from one of Christina Victor's students and clearly described what it was: a Network Of Gerontology Students. The name has clearly stuck and despite various attempts to change it, this has to date not happened.

Over the years we have always ensured that outside of the BSG conference there has been a special event that enables students to meet and present their work to each other with eminent keynote speakers from the hosting institution. Remaining true to the motto 'for students by students' these events were arranged by NOGS members. For example in 2001 and 2002 we held the one day student conferences with the support of the Centre for Research on Ageing and Gender (CRAG) at the University of Surrey where Khim Horton, Jenny Hislop and myself were PhD students. Other events over the years have been hosted in Oxford, Keele, and King's College London. These events have been very successful and greatly appreciated by all. Together with students from the host institutions, Kelly Fitzgerald and Karen Baker have done extremely well in the last two years in arranging the one day events at King's College London and Keele University. Until 2001 Ann and I also contributed to GR with brief updates on NOGS activities. However, in 2000 Ann stood down to focus on submitting her thesis and I was elected onto the Executive Committee in 2001 and consequently stood down from NOGS.

There has been a review of student activities within the BSG for the last 10 years. During this time Ann O'Hanlon continued to moderate the postgraduate email list until 2001 when she then set up and moderated the JISC email list for all academics with an interest in gerontology. For three years Ann was a member of the BSG executive committee and played an important role in bringing about the new BSG website. Her PhD was completed in 2002 and she is presently working at the Royal College of Surgeons. Bettina completed her PhD in 1999 and is no longer active within the world of gerontology.

Khim Horton completed her PhD in 2003, and was Honorary Treasurer of the BSG from 2004-6. She is currently Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Surrey. I myself am now a Lecturer at the University of Surrey and my role as BSG Honorary Secretary is changing to that of 'Past Honorary Secretary'. Jenny Hislop who participated in the arrangements for the student events at CRAG, and in the recent events at Keele, is now a lecturer at Keele University, and will be BSG Honorary Secretary from September 2007. This exemplifies how successful active members of NOGS have been in their academic careers.

With the facilities we now have on the website NOGS has the opportunity to recruit new members and communicate with one another. Kelly Fitzgerald and Karen Baker have been very active and successful in their stewardship of NOGS. However, they now need to focus on submitting their theses and it is now time for a new team of students to take on the task of maintaining the network for students interested in ageing. I know that whoever takes on this role will find it an interesting and challenging experience.