Presentation Summary - Lisa Molloy, Air Quality Ideas Exchange

Her story began when she and her partner bought their first home while she was pregnant with her eldest daughter. She noticed a musty smell but assumed it was harmless. Within months, both she and her baby were suffering from recurring chest infections. Despite multiple GP visits and repeated antibiotics, their health didn’t improve. It was only when Lisa’s mother noticed that they seemed healthier whenever they stayed away from home that the real cause emerged: serious, hidden water damage and mould throughout the property.

This experience changed Lisa’s life. She founded Mums Versus Mould, a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of mould exposure and to push for policy change. Her lived experience, coupled with her professional background in communications and behavioural science, gives her advocacy rare credibility and impact.

Lisa highlighted the deep inconsistency between government advice and workplace safety standards. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) classifies mould as a Category 2 biological hazard, requiring stringent precautions, yet government guidance for households simply suggests buying a supermarket mould cleaner. “How can the same hazard be treated so differently just because it’s in a home?” she asked.

Determined to close this gap, Lisa has written to the HSE Chair, government departments, and has been approached by BSI and the PAS 2035 team to advise on safe mould remediation. She’s advocating for the adoption of IICRC S520, the correct standard for dealing with water-damaged materials, particularly where health vulnerabilities exist. Her message is clear and uncompromising:

“Do not treat mould. Remove it. If a surface is porous and water-damaged, it must come out.”

Quoting Dr Graham Appleton from the UK Centre of Mycology Research, Lisa underscored the scientific evidence:

“We know that microbial contamination from water damage can make people seriously ill. Some recover when exposure stops, but not all.”

Lisa’s call to action was bold and practical. She wants to see a National Home Audit, a coordinated campaign encouraging every household to check for signs of damp, mould, and water ingress inside and out, and to act immediately. For landlords and housing providers, she argued this should become standard practice, supported by simple digital tools to collect data and link findings with NHS health indicators.

She invited housing associations and partners to collaborate with her and Mums Versus Mould to pilot the audit, showing that national change can start locally.

Lisa also shared details of her project What’s What, designed to democratise access to energy tariff information. With £3.8 billion in untapped heating support, the tool aims to help residents keep their homes warm, preventing damp and mould at source.

Throughout, Lisa returned to the theme of education and empowerment. Residents need to understand why ventilation and warmth matter, she said, not just how to do it. Her analogy captured the message perfectly:

“Ventilation is the lungs of the house. But right now, we’re letting unqualified people fit the brakes on a BMW.”

Her session ended on a note of solidarity: an open invitation for everyone in the sector to work with her, to share expertise rather than blame, and to help protect families from entirely preventable harm.

Lisa’s talk was a reminder that behind every damp and mould report lies a real human story. Her courage, expertise, and empathy embody what the Healthy Homes Hub stands for combining lived experience with evidence, compassion with action, and turning personal hardship into a national movement for healthier homes.