Niamh Lovelock, Stakeholder and Partnerships Lead, on Humility and Patience.
“You can’t just walk in with your agenda. People need to feel heard.”
When Niamh Lovelock speaks about her role at ABL, her words are coloured by a life shaped on two continents. Born in London, raised in Aotearoa New Zealand and with family roots in Ireland, her path to Oldham is anything but ordinary.
“My background was in public health in New Zealand,” she explains. “I worked on policy and regulation, particularly around indigenous health. On my dad’s side, I’m Māori and that gave me a real insight into the impact of health policy on indigenous communities.”
Moving closer to family in Ireland, she sought a role where she could take public health knowledge beyond policy papers. And at ABL, she found it.
“Here, I could use my skills in tobacco control but shift into service delivery and stakeholder engagement — working directly with communities rather than just from a regulatory perspective.”
Today, as Stakeholder and Partnerships Lead for Your Health Oldham, Niamh works with multiple stakeholders across Oldham’s health system. From primary and secondary care to local authorities and grassroots community groups, all are aligned with a bold vision — a Smoke-Free Oldham by 2030.
The Moment Listening Became Everything
For Niamh, the importance of listening and empathy crystallised long before she joined ABL. As a Senior Advisor with New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, she was part of a national consultation on new tobacco and vaping regulations.
“It was the first time I went into local communities as a representative from central government and sat face-to-face with people who had deep grievances,” she recalls.
“And that’s when I realised you can’t just walk in with your agenda. People need to feel heard. Once they see you’re willing to listen, conversations shift — from anger and frustration to collaboration and solutions.”
That lesson — humility, patience and the willingness to create safe spaces for dialogue — has remained at the heart of her practice.
“Every person carries their own story. You never know what’s going on in the background until you sit with them, listen and build trust.”
Meeting Communities Where They Are
Tobacco dependency is not evenly spread across society — it is deeply tied to inequality. In Oldham, smoking rates are higher among South Asian communities, LGBTQ+ groups, manual workers and those living with mental health challenges.
“These groups aren’t ‘hard to reach’,” Niamh insists. “They’re there — we just need to find the right avenues to connect. It’s about showing people our service exists to support, not stigmatise. We’re not here to make you feel bad for smoking, we’re here to help you live a longer, healthier, happier life.”
One example is ABL’s partnership with the Women’s Chai Project. Through open workshops with South Asian women, conversations went beyond smoking itself to the realities of family life, social pressures, and cultural expectations.
“It wasn’t just about giving information. It was about listening to concerns, understanding barriers and adapting how we engage. This helps shape everything from how we advertise to where we show up in the community.”
A Culture of Inclusivity
ABL’s inclusive culture stems from more than just strategy. It’s about how the organisation shows up in every interaction.
Niamh highlights the ethos of partnership and openness: “ABL is rooted in trust. We work with residents, healthcare professionals, commissioners — all with the same goal. It’s a culture where everyone’s contribution is valued.”
It’s also what drew her to the organisation in the first place. After years in government roles constrained by political priorities, she was energised by the chance to work hands-on with communities.
“What attracted me was the opportunity to make a real impact locally, not just write broad policy but see lives change.”
Defining Success
For Niamh, success isn’t measured by statistics alone, though numbers do matter. Her vision of success is more human.
“If we can help communities trust us enough to make their quit attempts, that’s success,” she says. “If in twelve months’ time we’ve seen more referrals from groups who experience inequalities — and fewer health gaps as a result — that would be huge. Making Oldham smoke-free isn’t just an aspiration, it’s a step towards generational health improvement.”
Moments of Pride
When asked about her career highlights, Niamh’s answer is definitive: “The Changing Tobacco Landscapes in Oldham event earlier this year.”
“It was incredible,” she smiles. “We brought together partners from trading standards, maternity services, primary care, community representatives and more — all under one roof. Clients shared their own quitting journeys and you could feel the energy in the room. The panel sparked such engaged discussion that people were jumping in with questions unprompted. It showed just how much appetite there is across Oldham to take action together.”
That moment captured the essence of ABL’s approach — inclusivity, collaboration and the power of lived experience to inspire change.
The Heart of the Matter
What threads through Niamh’s story is the quiet power of empathy. It’s not a soft skill tacked onto the “real” work — it is the work.
Whether listening to Māori community leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand or South Asian women in Oldham, she has learnt that solutions emerge not from speaking louder, but from listening better.
And in that listening lies the possibility of healthier futures — not just for individuals trying to quit smoking, but for entire communities striving to live longer, healthier and happier lives.
