Heather Yendle, Ffion Lloyd-Hughes and Carl Birkett will receive fully funded NEBOSH qualifications, mentoring and dedicated career support after being selected from over 100 applications.

The judging panel assessed applicants on their existing contribution, commitment to professional development and potential to influence the future of health and safety.

Created to remove financial barriers and create opportunities for the next generation of health and safety professionals, the annual bursary covers each recipient’s NEBOSH qualification and assessment fees, alongside learning materials, dedicated learner support, mentor check-ins and career guidance.

The inaugural recipients

Heather Yendle: Armed Forces bursary recipient

Heather will study the NEBOSH Level 6 National Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals.

Heather served for 15 years in the Royal Navy, where leadership, personal responsibility and risk management were central to her working life.

Since leaving the Armed Forces, she has continued investing in her development and established a clear plan for her future in health and safety.

The panel was particularly impressed by how deliberately Heather has carried the leadership and resilience developed during her service into the next stage of her career.

Ffion Lloyd-Hughes

Ffion will study the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.

Ffion’s story is one of return, progression and possibility.

After time away from the workplace, she returned to employment and progressed into a leadership role as a catering manager, successfully navigating audits and inspections through practical judgement and a strong sense of responsibility.

Her application demonstrated a powerful instinct for people-centred safety and a determination to build a more systematic, proactive approach to managing risk.

The bursary will allow Ffion to turn that practical capability into a recognised professional pathway, one with the potential to change the direction of her career.

Carl Birkett

Carl will study the NEBOSH Level 6 National Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals.

Working across fabrication, steelwork and construction, Carl has already translated health and safety knowledge into meaningful operational improvements through stronger safe systems of work, more effective training and improved site controls.

The panel recognised his technical credibility, ability to influence people at every level and ambition to progress towards Chartered status, mentor others and strengthen standards across his industry.

Nick Higginson, CEO and Founder of Phoenix Health & Safety, said:

“Potential does not always arrive with the strongest CV or the most obvious route into the profession. Sometimes it needs someone to recognise it, invest in it and provide the opportunity for it to develop.

“Heather, Ffion and Carl have followed very different paths, but all three have already demonstrated what they can achieve with the opportunities available to them.

“Talent is everywhere. Opportunity isn’t. This bursary is our contribution towards changing that.”

Support beyond the three funded places

But Phoenix did not want the impact of the initiative to stop with the three successful applicants.

Nine further applicants have been recognised as Highly Commended and will receive enhanced development support, including complimentary short courses, career guidance and personalised recognition.

Every person who applied for the bursary will also be offered practical learning, resources and guidance to help them continue progressing.

Higginson added: “Over 100 people trusted us with their experiences, aspirations and the barriers standing between them and their next step.

“With only three fully funded places available, our response could not end with three yeses.

“This is not simply about funding qualifications. It is about investing in people, building capability and making the health and safety profession more visible and accessible.”

From cleaning electricity meters to founding Phoenix

The initiative also has personal significance for Higginson, whose own health and safety career began while cleaning electricity meters in a factory.

After volunteering as a trade union safety representative, he recognised that a professional qualification could change the direction of his career.

When his employer would not fund the NEBOSH National General Certificate or allow him time away from work to study, he found another route, attending a local college one evening a week for six months.

That qualification became the foundation for the career that followed and, ultimately, the creation of Phoenix Health & Safety.

Heather, Ffion and Carl will now work with Phoenix to confirm their preferred study formats and course intakes before beginning their qualifications, supported by the organisation’s learning and leadership teams.

To learn more about the Phoenix Future Safety Leaders Bursary, visit: Meet Phoenix’s Future Safety Leaders Bursary Recipients | Phoenix Health & Safety