CITY PUBLIC HEALTH BOSS IS MOVING ON

NOTTINGHAM’S public health boss is to leave the role.

Alison Challenger (pictured), Nottingham City Council’s Director of Public Health since 2016, will take charge of public health at West Sussex County Council in April.

City Council leader Councillor David Mellen thanked Mrs Challenger for her work in the pandemic and on the city’s public health agenda for the past five years.

She will be continue to lead Nottingham’s Covid response until April and a recruitment process has already started to appoint her successor.

Councillor Mellen said: “It’s been a really tough time for everyone but Alison has been on the front line driving our public health response with her usual calmness, authority and leadership. I pay tribute to her efforts and that of the wider team.

“We’d like to wish her all the best in her new role in the south of England where I know she’ll have a really positive impact on the lives of people in West Sussex.”

Mrs Challenger is a clinically qualified public health professional with a background in nursing and midwifery. She has worked in Nottingham for 30 years. She is a member of the faculty of Public Health Board, the Association of Directors of Public Health Council, and the Public Health England Tobacco Control Implementation Board.

She said: “Deciding to leave Nottingham City Council has been a really hard decision. I feel the time is right for me to make a change to my lifestyle and it has always been a desire of mine to live close to the coast at some point. I’m excited to be moving to West Sussex but will miss a lot of people here and thank them for the support over the years, especially the past 12 months.

“Being responsible for public health in a large city like Nottingham during a global pandemic has been all consuming. We have navigated through some tough times with the support of our partner organisations, but I truly feel there is light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine roll-out gathering pace.”