Embracing digital opportunities​

In 2024 we examined the ways that our community was connecting and exchanging information in digital spaces, to make sure that we were in step with the evolving nature of online communication, and to support our members with disseminating their work. 

We started with the BPS Community platform, undertaking a full review, followed by a refresh and relaunch in May. After a monitoring period, we noted that member engagement continued to be extremely low, and Council agreed that the limited value the platform offered to members did not justify the significant annual running costs and the platform was wound down.  

The time freed up from maintaining the Community has allowed us to explore new social media channels, including Instagram, Bluesky and Reddit) and produce more varied content for our existing channels to help us reach new audiences. We have also worked on strengthening communication between our committees and groups through meetings, both online and in person, building opportunities for members to inform our work and communicate with each other. 

This review of our online presence has aligned with the ongoing project to launch a new BPS website. We have made solid progress with the initial work on the new site, but the original tentative launch date of November 2024 has been extended to August 2025 to give enough time for significant rewriting and refining of content to give users the best experience possible. This is crucial as not only is the website a valuable resource to support our existing members, but it is also an important tool to attract new potential members. 

Membership growth is critical for the Society’s future success and so time has been taken to ensure we understand the needs, expectations and aspirations of our members. Throughout 2024 we analysed the membership experience through: 

• two workshops 

• undertaking a review of membership fees and categories in consultation with various committees and members 

• benchmarking our offer against other societies 

• conducting a member survey.  

Developing new member-centric activities in 2025 is a key priority and this groundwork will inform our progress.