The Association is managed by an executive committee that is elected each year at our annual general meeting.

Jana Nahodilova (chair)

Jana moved to London from the Czech Republic in 1998 where she gained an MSc in Gender studies and an MPhil in Czech literature and nationalism. She has taught Czech language and CEE cultural units at the University of Bristol for 20 years. In 2012 Jana established Okénko, a Czech and Slovak school in London which she runs to date. She is also chair of the Association of Czech and Slovak schools in the UK and cooperates with initiatives nationally and internationally. In 2022 Jana joined the BCSA executive committee as joint events co-ordinator and became chair in March 2024. 

Ruzena Holub (vice-chairman & membership secretary)


Ruzena was born in Prague and came to the UK in 1968. She worked as an interpreter and translator for over 30 years and a teacher of the Czech language. She joined the committee in 1995 became vice-chairman in 1999 and membership secretary in 2006.

Ivona Klemensova (treasurer)

Ivona is a freelance Czech language teacher and an experienced administrator. Previously she worked in the travel industry in the Czech Republic, Italy and the UK. From 2017 to 2022 she was a co-director of the Czech School Without Borders in London. Recently she joined UCL as a senior administrator.

Blanka Shrimpton (secretary)

Blanka joined the BCSA in 2007 and was elected honorary secretary the following year. For many years she organised our summer party held in the gardens of the Czech and Slovak embassies.

Ed Peacock (editor British Czech & Slovak Review & writing competition administrator)

Semi-retired administrator, with family links to the Czech Republic. Ed has organised the writing competition since its inception in 2002. Since 2020 he has also been editor of the British Czech and Slovak Review.

Jana Buresova (events co-ordinator)

Jana holds a PhD from the University of London and is the author of The Dynamics of Forced Female Migration from Czechoslovakia to Britain, 1938-1950. In 2019 she was awarded the Jan Masaryk Silver Medal for outstanding contributions to the development of relations between the Czech Republic and the UK and Northern Ireland. Jana was the BCSA’s first events co-ordinator.

Angela Spindler-Brown

Prague born, Angela has lived in London since 1968. A TV journalist, she specialised in historical documentaries made for British and US broadcasters. From 1995 until 2020 Angela was editor of the British Czech and Slovak newsletter which developed into the Review.