Lisa Williams has been recognised with the BDA Professional Achievement Honour for her outstanding personal commitment and exceptional contributions to the profession over 10 years as a public health dietitian.
Lisa has made an outstanding contribution to dietetics and public health in Wales through visionary leadership, innovation and dedication. Her work has created a lasting impact for colleagues, communities and the wider profession. As national lead for the Nutrition Skills for Life (NS4L) programme since 2012, she has established a coordinated approach to nutrition education, improving workforce knowledge across health, social care, education and community sectors. This has ensured that consistent, evidence-based messages reach diverse populations, including those most vulnerable to health inequalities.
She has led major digital innovations, including national online resources, the NS4L website and award-winning health ORCHA- approved health applications, expanding access to trusted nutrition information.
A committed educator, researcher and mentor, Lisa has advanced evidence-based practice, workforce development and policy influence. Widely respected for her compassion, expertise and vision, she has significantly raised the profile of dietetics in the field of public health nutrition and elevated the profile of dietetics nationally.
Lisa has shared what receiving this BDA Professional Achievement Honour means to her.
What does it mean to you to have been awarded with the BDA Professional Achievement Honour?
I am both thrilled and humbled to receive this award. It is a tremendous honour and one that I never expected. It has been a privilege to lead Nutrition Skills for Life (NS4L) in Wales over the past 14 years and to work alongside so many inspirational and dedicated colleagues throughout my 35 year career in NHS Wales.
This recognition reflects not only my own journey but also the collective efforts of the many people I have had the pleasure of working with. I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent my career supporting individuals and communities to improve their health and wellbeing through food and nutrition.
What drove you to become a dietitian in the first place and to be where you are today?
My journey into dietetics began at secondary school. During a meeting with a careers advisor, we discussed the subjects I most enjoyed, which were biology, food and nutrition (then known as home economics), and she suggested dietetics as a career. It immediately resonated with me and I have never looked back.
In the early 1990s, I took up a newly created role developing a nutrition and dietetic service for people living with HIV. This was my first experience of working closely with communities and voluntary sector organisations to co-produce services that responded to identified needs. It sparked a passion for community-based practice that has remained with me throughout my career.
I subsequently moved into community dietetics, where I led and contributed to a range of projects focused on nutrition education, workforce development and community nutrition interventions. Alongside this, my interest in adult education grew, leading me to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Further Education. It was a real lightbulb moment, providing knowledge and skills that continue to influence my work today. Ten years later, I completed a Master of Arts in the same field, further developing my expertise in learning and teaching. This work ultimately contributed to the development of the accredited Community Food and Nutrition Skills courses that continue to be delivered across Wales.
Who would you say inspires you both dietetically and also non-dietetically?
Professionally, I am fortunate to work alongside dietetic leaders and colleagues who inspire me every day. Working in a pressured and resource-constrained environment is challenging but I continue to be inspired by their compassion, commitment and determination to improve the lives of others. Throughout my career, I have also made friendships that I will value for life.
Beyond dietetics, a chance introduction to Professor Carolyn Wallace and Dr Teresa Filipponi at the University of South Wales proved transformative. Their mentorship inspired me to undertake a Health Care Research Wales First into Research Fellowship, during which I completed a realist-informed scoping review exploring how community nutrition initiatives can support healthy dietary behaviours. Their expertise in mixed methods research and realist evaluation has greatly influenced my thinking and inspired me to pursue a PhD by Portfolio over the next 2 years.
What advice would you give to future dietitians?
Be curious and never stop learning. Take opportunities when they arise, even if they feel outside your comfort zone. Seek out mentors, shadow experienced colleagues, build networks and share your ideas with others. Most importantly, do not be afraid to knock on doors. Some of the most significant opportunities in my career have come from conversations I could never have anticipated. You never know where a new connection, question or idea might lead.
What has been the highlight to your dietetic career to date?
Receiving this Professional Achievement Honour is undoubtedly one of the highlights of my career.
Another milestone was NS4L receiving the UK Bevan Prize for Health and Wellbeing (Organisation Prize) in 2014. The winner of the Bevan Lifetime Contribution Award that year was Professor Dame Carole Black, which made the occasion particularly special.
In addition, the transformation of our all-Wales nutrition training programme to digital delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a challenging period that required securing funding, presenting innovative ideas through health technology hack events, collaborating with industry partners and commissioning digital developers. The scale of the work was considerable but it ensured that support could continue to reach communities at a time when health inequalities were becoming increasingly apparent. Seeing that transformation succeed and continue to benefit people across Wales remains one of the most awarding achievements of my career.
I was also proud to complete a Health and Care Research Wales First into Research Fellowship and to publish my findings in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. My next step is to pursue further research grant funding for a realist evaluation of Nutrition Skills for Life, to better understand how the programme works and generate learning that may support the development and evaluation of other complex public health interventions.
