The 37th Annual Conference of the British Society of Gerontology  

“Sustainable futures in an ageing world.” 4th – 6th September 2008

We are delighted that the British Society of Gerontology has accepted a joint proposal from our two universities to host its annual conference in Bristol in September 2008. In recent years the themes reflected in the title of the conference have moved to the centre of political and academic debate. Sustainability has become a vital issue at the personal, local, regional, national and international levels. The demographics of ageing have led to debate about the role of older people in both developing and post-industrial societies covering a wide range of policy concerns, going well beyond the traditional issues of health, social care, housing and income maintenance to encompass transport, education, leisure, safety, new technologies, intergenerational relations, environmental challenges, the politics of ageing and the consequences of large scale international migration. It is important that the theme of this conference is addressed by policymakers, service providers, older people themselves as well as the academic research community. We hope and expect you to have a lively and productive conference in Bristol and look forward to seeing the outcomes of your deliberations.

Professor Steven West and Professor Eric Thomas