Dialogue, Deeds & Determination: Voices from Rochdale 2026

On Saturday 4th July, our community gathered at Rochdale Library for our annual Dialogue, Deeds & Determination event – a day dedicated to conversation, collaboration and practical action for women and girls across Greater Manchester.

The programme brought together community leaders, campaigners, elected representatives, organisations and residents to explore progress and challenges across our five thematic areas: safety, participation, education, employment, and culture and active lives.

As always, the event was shaped not only by the speakers and workshops, but by the people in the room.

Following the event, attendees shared their reflections, and their feedback paints a picture of a day that was informative, inspiring and full of possibility.

Here's some of what you told us:

"Inspiring and inclusive."

"Informative and collaborative."

"Inspiring, encouraging, a privilege and a real learning experience."

"Energising."

"Uplifting and very informative."

"Educational and inspiring, and a fantastic opportunity to connect."

Those comments capture the spirit of the day perfectly.

The power of connection

One of the strongest themes running through the feedback was the value of bringing people together.

Many attendees highlighted the networking opportunities, the chance to make new connections and the opportunity to learn from people whose experiences and backgrounds differed from their own.

One participant reflected on the importance of meeting women from different communities across Greater Manchester and discovering unexpected shared experiences and common ground.

Others spoke about the value of learning more about the organisations working to support women and girls in the region, with one attendee commenting that it was useful to see "what other groups are out there supporting the community".

These connections matter.

We've always believed that meaningful change happens when people come together to share ideas, challenge assumptions and build relationships that extend beyond a single event.

Learning, listening and taking action

The workshops and plenary sessions were particularly well received.

Attendees highlighted the workshops, panel discussions and breakout sessions as valuable opportunities to learn, contribute and hear different perspectives.

The honour-based abuse plenary generated particularly strong feedback, with one attendee describing it as "of intense local interest" and noting that they learned facts they had not previously known.

Others reflected on the power of hearing directly from speakers and workshop facilitators, with the safety workshop receiving special praise for the insight and expertise shared.

The session exploring movements and communities also resonated strongly, with one attendee commenting that it inspired them to seek out similar organisations in their own area.

Perhaps most importantly, attendees left with new ideas, fresh perspectives and a renewed sense of purpose.

As one participant put it:

"Thanks for such a great event. I am leaving energised and inspired."

Creativity, culture and lived experience

Alongside data, discussion and debate, attendees also highlighted the importance of creativity throughout the day.

The performances from community representatives helped bring lived experience, culture and storytelling into the heart of the event, providing a powerful reminder that progress cannot be measured through statistics alone.

Data helps us understand where we are. Stories help us understand why it matters. The combination of both remains one of the defining features of Dialogue, Deeds & Determination.

Listening to how we can improve

While feedback was overwhelmingly positive, we know that continuous improvement requires listening carefully to suggestions as well as praise.

Several attendees suggested creating additional opportunities for networking, either through longer networking sessions, dedicated networking activities or follow-up events.

Others highlighted the importance of promoting future events even more widely and providing as much advance notice as possible about speakers and programmes.

There were thoughtful suggestions covering:

• Exploring hybrid event formats.

• Encouraging more male allies to attend.

• Working more closely with local voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations.

• Ensuring diverse representation among contributors.

We're grateful for these ideas and will take them into account as we plan for the future.

Looking ahead

We also asked attendees what topics they would like to see explored in the next Dialogue, Deeds & Determination events.

Suggestions included:

• Equality for working-class women.

• Women's health.

• Funding for the violence against women and girls sector.

• Ageing and safety.

• Employment and economic security.

• The future of gender equality beyond 2028.

• Education, participation and data.

These suggestions reflect the breadth of issues affecting women and girls, and will help inform our future planning.

Thank you

Above all, the feedback reminded us why Dialogue, Deeds & Determination matters. Not because it provides all the answers, but because it creates a space where people can learn from one another, share experiences, build connections and contribute to solutions.

As one attendee told us:

"I think you're doing fantastic work and are really welcoming and inclusive."

And another simply said:

"Keep up the good work!"

To everyone who attended, contributed, volunteered, spoke, performed, facilitated, organised, supported and shared their thoughts afterwards: thank you. Your voices make these events what they are.

As we continue our journey towards 2028, your ideas, experiences and determination will continue to shape the work ahead.