We are delighted to offer our congratulations to St Hugh’s alumna, Zoë Billingham (PPE, 1983) who has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2022 for public service.
Zoë has spent much of her career inspecting public services to promote improvement. Serving as Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue for 12 years, she shone a light on all aspects of policing and created the new fire inspectorate. She led the inspectorate’s national work on value for money, mental health and protecting the most vulnerable.
Zoë said, ‘I’m most proud of my work in challenging issues relating to domestic abuse, ensuring that victims have a voice; and working tirelessly to end violence against women and girls. My report on violence against women and girls has underpinned the Home Office’s violence against women and girls strategy and this is leading to a sea change in approach on the part of policing and local partners.’ Appointed to the Home Secretary’s Task Force, she continues to support the government’s ambitious reform programme.
Zoë is Chair of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and a Trustee of SafeLives, a national domestic abuse charity.