At its Annual Conference in July 2017, the British Society of Gerontology named Christina Victor and Clare Wenger as 2017 Winners of the British Society of Gerontology Outstanding Achievement Award, the highest honour that the Society bestows.
The British Society of Gerontology established the award in 2007 to honour outstanding achievement in gerontological scholarship, research, education or policy. The award is made in particular to those who have made a significant and lasting impact on the policy process and through this, have helped to improve the lives of older people. The awards panel is Chaired by Professor Alan Walker, the first recipient of the award, and in 2017 comprised Tessa Harding (former winner), the current and past Presidents of the Society (Debora Price and Sheila Peace), Jane Vass, the Head of Public Policy at AgeUK, the country’s largest charity dedicated to promoting wellbeing in later life, and David Sinclair, the Director of ILC-UK, one of the country’s leading think tanks focused on the societal impact of our ageing demography.
In 2017 the Society decided to make two awards, as the panel wished to honour the outstanding achievement of two nominees whose contributions to gerontology have been quite exceptional:
Professor Christina Victor
For her outstanding contribution to gerontological research, policy and education across a host of domains.
Christina's significant canon of research has advanced global understanding of loneliness, social isolation, ethnicity, and health and wellbeing in later life, and inspired international scholarship in these realms. Christina has shaped gerontological thinking, research, education and practice through her breadth of scholarly publications and editorial responsibilities, and her research leadership positions. Christina is recognised by policymakers, campaigners and practitioners as providing national leadership in her chosen fields, and in particular for her noteworthy contributions to the development of the Campaign to End Loneliness. This work sits alongside her key role in British gerontology as the Editor-in-Chief of the Society's leading journal, Ageing & Society which under her editorship has achieved its highest impact factor at 1.8 and is now the top ranked European journal on ageing. Christina's work has contributed to preparing health and social care practitioners for direct clinical practice with older people and their families, and her continued dedication to the education and mentoring of current and future generations of health and social care practitioners as well as academic gerontologists, is appreciated and recognised by the academy and by the Society.
Professor Clare Wenger
For her outstanding contribution to gerontological research, policy and education in the spheres of rural ageing and migration.
Her significant canon of research, scholarship and publications have advanced global understanding and research agendas in these fields. As one of the first rural gerontologists in the UK, her research has long contributed to our understanding of social networks and of ageing in rural communities, issues which remain critically important to the wellbeing of older people all over the world. Critically her work has helped to maintain the policy focus on these issues of geography, space and place, as well as contributing to practices for improving health and wellbeing of older people. The panel especially noted Clare's development of measures of networks which have been used internationally, and her widely implemented social work assessment tools. Furthermore, as one of the pioneers of participatory research methods with older people, her work has led to participants in research having a stronger voice in setting agendas and determining outcomes, and continues to inspire the inclusion of older people in transformatory research. Clare is also honoured by the many researchers and gerontologists who have benefited from her management and mentorship over the years.
Debora Price