Abstract: The International Urogynecology Journal is proud tosupport and have the support of the British Society ofUrogynaecology (BSUG) and its members. Strong nationalbodies are important to the development of urogynecology,and to sustaining international organisations such as IUGAand this journal. The BSUG has become a vibrant,energetic, all-inclusive society that could serve as ablueprint for the way any new national urogynecologysociety should develop and function. The BSUG has anexcellent relationship with its mother society, the RoyalCollege of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and providesgood services to its members, the broader obstetrics andgynecology community and the British public.We congratulate the BSUG on its achievements and arepleased to publish in this issue the abstracts of its annualscientific meeting in 2010.We thank Linda Cardozo and Bob Freeman, two pastchairmen of BSUG, for providing us with the followingaccount of the history and present activities of theirsociety.Peter L. Dwyer, Co-Editor-in-Chief, International Urogyne-cology JournalThe BSUGHistory The British Society of Urogynaecology was formedin 2001 following a request from the then President of theRoyal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG),Bob Shaw. He wanted to establish specialist societies whocould advise the RCOG in areas relating to their subspecialty.While he was keen to affiliate them to the College, this wasinitially rejected by the Council. Nonetheless, the CollegeOfficers realised the importance of a close working relation-ship withspecialist societies and a CollegeOfficers/SpecialistSocieties Liaison Group was formed. This meets twice a yearto discuss issues of common interest.At the time of the request, apart from the ResearchUrogynaecology Society (RUGS) set up by Stuart Stantonsome years previously, no British urogynaecological societyexisted. Linda Cardozo, with whom Bob Shaw had spoken,thereforeproposedthatoneshouldbeformedandapproachedBob Freeman and Vik Khullar, Chairman and Secretary ofRUGSatthetime.Theystartedworkingonaconstitutionandsetting up a general committee/executive and subcommittees.A name had to be chosen, and the one settled on wasBritish Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG), as BritishUrogynaecologyAssociation,or“BUGA”(soundslikearudeword in English!) for short, and British UrogynaecologySociety, or “BUGS”, were not thought appropriate!The aims of BSUG were, and still are, to set and raisestandards in urogynaecology and assist the RCOG in,producing clinical guidelines and standards, give advice on