RoSPA's health and safety president steps down

The peer joined the health and safety charity in 2019, and has since played a pivotal role in furthering RoSPA’s mission of preventing accidents and saving lives. 

From her political base in Westminster, Jolly used her position in the House of Lords to spread awareness of campaigns the charity was involved in. This included RoSPA’s call for ‘Safer Stairs’, which resulted in the government adopting British Standard 5395-1 into the Building Regulations, improving the safety of new build houses significantly.

From hitting the ground running, the baroness helped rouse governmental colleagues by pointing out the flaws of the proposed Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, which looked to remove hundreds of life-saving pieces of legislation from UK law.

Further afield, Jolly also heavily contributed to developing RoSPA’s renowned Health and Safety Awards, helping expand awareness internationally, particularly in the Gulf region, assisting with the introduction of a Middle Eastern ceremony in Dubai, UAE.

The CEO of RoSPA, Rebecca Hickman said, “Whilst we are sad to hear of Baroness Jolly’s departure, we are truly grateful for her service, commitment, and dedication to making the world a safer place for all. Through her Parliamentary rallying, her influence extended beyond words as her actions have led to tangible improvements in safety standards and practices.

“Her unwavering dedication to RoSPA and its mission has not only helped shape our organisation, but has also played a crucial role in saving lives, and we take this moment to appreciate the profound difference she has made. It is through leaders like Baroness Jolly that we can hope for a future where accidents are not just reduced but eradicated. We will continue to be inspired by her example and strive to uphold the values of safety and prevention that we collectively support.”

Becoming a life peer in 2011, Baroness Jolly focussed strongly on health care, taking up positions such as co-chair of the Health and Social Care Team within the Coalition government as well as government whip with responsibilities for Health, Defence, Culture Media & Sport, and Equalities. She also was entrusted with the position of Health Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords for three years from 2017.