CIEH Rising Star Award 2026: Personal inspiration behind career change into Environmental Health

This year’s CIEH Excellence Awards Rising Star Award winner was Milly Strong, a passionate Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP) who was inspired to pursue a career in the profession through personal experience.

Milly initially joined Wiltshire Council’s Environmental Protection Team in 2024 to support an air quality community project and has gone on to lead this council’s work in this area and become a hugely valued member of the team.

A personal journey into Environmental Health

A career in Environmental Health was not always part of the plan for Milly, from Somerset. The decision came after experiencing first-hand the impact that poor housing conditions can have on health.

A few years ago, while living in a rental property affected by serious mould problems, her young son was hospitalised several times with breathing difficulties. As she searched for answers, she began learning more about air pollution and the wider links between environmental conditions and public health.

Although their family was eventually able to move, the experience left a lasting impression.

"Too many people have to continue living in conditions that affect their health,” Milly said. “This experience prompted a career change into Environmental Health. I wanted to be part of work that improves housing conditions and reduces exposure to pollution.”

Working at the forefront of air quality

Air quality remains one of the most significant environmental risks to public health, yet it is often poorly understood by the wider public. For the Rising Star winner, that challenge is what makes the field so rewarding.

“There is a real opportunity to raise awareness and help people understand the impact it can have on their everyday lives,” she explained.

“It’s also an evolving field. As we respond to climate change and adapt our homes and communities, new and changing risks from air pollution need to be navigated. Alongside that, there’s an ongoing challenge around behaviour change and supporting people to make informed choices, whether that’s about how they heat their homes or how they travel.”

The Wiltshire Community Air Network

A key achievement recognised by the judges was Milly’s central involvement in the Wiltshire Community Air Network project.

The initiative brought together local residents and volunteers, known as Air Quality Champions, who hosted monitoring sensors within their communities to help build a better picture of air quality across the county.

According to colleagues at Wiltshire Council, Milly has been instrumental in turning the Wiltshire Community Air Network from an ambitious concept into a successful county-wide project.

After joining the council Milly quickly took ownership of developing the initiative, researching monitoring technologies, building relationships with experts across the sector and helping secure a complex contract with sensor provider PurpleAir.

Her work laid the foundations for a network that now empowers communities across Wiltshire to better understand local air quality.

Beyond the technical and logistical challenges, Milly led engagement with schools, councillors, parish councils, and the media, helping to raise awareness of air quality issues and build support for the project.

She also developed educational resources for schools, planned the rollout of hundreds of monitors and played a central role in creating a sophisticated data management platform that will support future policy development and research.

Reflecting on the project, Milly was quick to highlight the contribution of others.

"I feel very fortunate to have been part of the Wiltshire Community Air Network,” she said. “I'm so grateful to the Air Quality Champions who made it possible by hosting sensors in their communities.

“It’s been inspiring to see people from across the county come together to create something so positive, and I’m looking forward to using what we’ve learned to help improve air quality.”

Recognition from across the profession

Being named Rising Star at the CIEH Excellence Awards 2026 is a significant achievement, but the winner remains humble about the recognition.

"It's really encouraging to have my work recognised by the CIEH. I work alongside so many talented Environmental Health professionals, and I think the award reflects the great support I get from the wonderful team I work with."

The award also carries particular significance because it was colleagues who put forward the nomination.

They described Milly as a dependable, self-motivated professional with a "can do" attitude, someone trusted to deliver complex projects with little fuss and consistently exceed expectations.

They said her contributions have extended well beyond the Wiltshire Community Air Network, with a growing role in Wiltshire's wider air quality management work, including monitoring programmes, policy development and the review of Air Quality Management Areas.

In their nomination they said they believe Milly has a ‘brilliant future ahead of her’ and will be a ‘great credit’ to the Environmental Health profession for years to come.

"It means a great deal that colleagues felt I was worth putting forward,” Milly said. “It's encouraging to know they see me as someone who is beginning to make a positive contribution to the profession."

Inspiring the next generation

For anyone considering a career in Environmental Health, the Rising Star winner has a simple message: it's a profession where you can make a genuine difference.

"I'm really glad I made the decision to move into Environmental Health,” Milly said. “It's a varied role, with plenty of time out of the office, and the chance to make a real difference by helping to solve practical problems.

“With the growing impact of climate change on public health, there’s also an increasing need for Environmental Health professionals, so it’s a really rewarding area to be part of.”