I am delighted to have been elected Secretary of the BSG, to work alongside our President Kate Davidson and the Executive Committee on behalf of our members. BSG has offered me incredible support since I began my postgraduate studies in ageing in 1998, with many of its members becoming not only valued colleagues but good friends. It is these networks which have proved invaluable in establishing myself as an early-career gerontologist.

In taking over the role as Secretary I must first of all thank Ingrid Eyers, our past Secretary. During her term of office, Ingrid worked tirelessly in building foundations for the smooth running of the BSG. She contributed greatly to the development of our website as a major communication outlet; witnessed the birth of GR, our innovative online newsletter; and supported the Network of Gerontology Students (NOGS). On behalf of the Executive Committee and the members of BSG I wish Ingrid all the best for the future and look forward to her on-going support, guidance and participation in BSG events. 

The achievements of the BSG are due in no small measure to the behind the scenes work done by the Executive Committee. At the AGM in Sheffield, the appointment of Wendy Martin as Secretary-Elect, and Debora Price as Treasurer-Elect was confirmed. Following our first on-line election this year, John Miles was elected to the committee, with Sheila Peace and Julia Twigg being re-elected following their initial 3-year terms of office. The new committee thus comprises Kate Davidson (President), Jenny Hislop (Secretary), Mark Faulkner (Treasurer), Judith Phillips (President-Elect), Wendy Martin (Secretary-Elect), Debora Price (Treasurer-Elect), and Executive Committee members Bernadette Bartlam, Kate M Bennett, Simon Evans, Angela Kydd, Tony Maltby, John Miles, Sheila Peace, Randall Smith and Julia Twigg. 

Congratulations to Ian Sidney from Keele University who has been appointed the new Chair of NOGS. Ian takes over from Kelly Fitzgerald and Karen Baker who are to be highly praised for their dedication and commitment to NOGS in recent years. I had the pleasure of working with Karen and Kelly in organising the NOGS conference at Keele University earlier this year and was hugely impressed by their organisational skills and ability to bring new researchers together. We wish Kelly and Karen all the best as they complete their dissertations and embark on their careers in gerontology. One of Ian’s first initiatives as Chair has been to announce a new name for NOGS. From now on the group will be known as BSG ERA (Emerging Researchers in Ageing) to encompass both those studying ageing as well as those in the early years of their career. Ian outlines his plans for BSG ERA in this issue. A New ERA for NOGS

In closing, I’d like to thank Murna Downs, Merryn Gott, Jill Hitchenor and the team responsible for organising such a splendid conference at Sheffield. What made the conference so memorable for me was the goodwill, friendliness, and sharing of ideas and experiences. It is these values which underpin the success of BSG as a society which supports and represents researchers, scholars and practitioners at all stages of their career.

Best wishes
Jenny