FearlessHer
Women in Leadership Conference
Breaking Barriers, Women Uplifting Women, Building Careers and Networks
Tuesday 8 September 2026
9:30am–3:30pm
Boundary Park, Oldham Athletic Football Club
About FearlessHER
Who Is This Conference For?
FearlessHER is designed primarily for women working across health and social care, including:
• Nurses, allied health professionals and social care professionals
• Emerging, aspiring and established leaders
• Clinical and non-clinical staff
• Professionals considering career progression
• Women experiencing imposter feelings or barriers to belonging
• Staff involved in equality, diversity, inclusion and workforce development
• Mentors, educators, managers and organisational leaders
• Anyone interested in compassionate, inclusive and healing-centred leadership
Participants do not need to hold a formal leadership title. The conference recognises that leadership can be demonstrated through influence, advocacy, care, courage, professional practice and the creation of opportunities for others.
FearlessHER: Women Leading Forward is a collaborative professional development conference created to support the progression, visibility and leadership of women across health and social care in Greater Manchester.
The conference will bring together women working at different stages of their leadership journeys, alongside senior leaders, speakers, facilitators and wellbeing contributors. Through keynote contributions, professional conversations, inclusive poetry, practical breakout sessions and networking opportunities, participants will explore the personal, professional and structural factors that can influence confidence, belonging, progression and leadership.
The event is designed to create an inclusive and psychologically supportive environment in which women can learn from one another, build meaningful connections, recognise the value of their lived and professional experiences, and identify practical next steps in their careers.
Conference Aims
FearlessHER aims to:
• Promote the progression of women into leadership roles across health and social care
• Amplify the voices and visibility of women leaders across Greater Manchester
• Explore barriers affecting confidence, belonging and career progression
• Provide practical approaches to managing imposter feelings
• Encourage women to recognise the leadership strengths developed through their lived experiences
• Promote inclusive, compassionate and psychologically safe leadership
• Create opportunities for networking, connection, reflection and mutual support
• Support participants to identify purposeful actions for their continued professional development
Programme for the Day
9:30am — Arrival, Registration and Refreshments
Participants arrive, register and have an opportunity to connect before the formal programme begins.
10:00am — Welcome and Housekeeping
Welcome from Tracy, including an introduction to the day and essential event information.
10:05am — Opening Remarks
Opening contribution from Angela.
10:10am — Leadership Speaker Contributions
• Evelyn Asante-Mensah OBE — Independent Co-Chair, North West NHS Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Assembly
• Claudette Elliott — Chair, Pennine
• Salli Midgley — Chief Nurse, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
10:40am — Refreshment Break and Networking
An opportunity to connect with speakers, delegates and partner organisations.
11:20am — Professional Leadership Perspectives
• Roisin McLoughlin — Assistant Director, Central Locality Social Work Teams, Children and Education Services
• Dr Hussain — General Practitioner, Manchester
• Chrissie Cooke — Non-Executive Director, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, and Director, Creative Support
11:50am — Innovative Inclusive Poetry
Poetry and reflective contribution delivered by Chidinma Victory Oforji, Lecturer in Adult Nursing and Founder of The Healing Studio (Ọgwụ) Ltd.
12:00pm — Lunch, Networking and Wellbeing Stalls
Lunch will be accompanied by opportunities to network and engage with wellbeing activities and stalls, including massage and other supportive wellbeing experiences.
12:45pm — Transition to Breakout Sessions
Participants move to their selected breakout rooms.
1:00pm — Interactive Breakout Sessions
Each session will include approximately 30 minutes of facilitated content followed by 15 minutes of discussion.
• Main Room: Edna Boampong, Director of Communications, Liverpool Council
• Leadership That Heals: Imposter Syndrome, Belonging and Progression: Chidinma Victory Oforji, The Healing Studio (Ọgwụ) Ltd
• Intersectionality and Overlapping Forms of Discrimination: Oyinkansola Ogunleye, PCREF Lead, and Emma Allen, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion — subject to confirmation
1:45pm — Keynote Address
Patricia Hughes, Director for Nursing, Royal College of Nursing.
2:00pm — Refreshment Break
2:15pm — Panel Discussion
Chaired by Alison Schofield, with contributions from:
• Sam Hartley — Consultant Psychologist, Pennine Care
• Dr Yinka Oladokun — Senior Clinical Psychologist, CAMHS, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
• Rebecca Pack — Head of Nursing
• Dr Gracie Johnson — Head of Operations
• Hayley McGowan — Associate Director of Nursing
• Gemma Mlambo — Associate Director of Nursing
Participants will be able to submit questions through a dedicated event QR code throughout the day.
3:15pm — Closing Reflections
Closing remarks from Angela and Tracy.
3:30pm — Conference Close
Delegates should scan this QR Code to register as attending the full programme on the day of the event. This register will open by 9:30am on the 8th of September 2026
Fearless Her is delivered in partnership with The Healing Studio (Ọgwụ) Ltd, an approved CPD provider. The event has been accredited by The CPD Group, and eligible attendees will receive a verifiable CPD attendance certificate.
Featured Session
Imposter Syndrome, Belonging and Progression
Facilitated by Chidinma Victory Oforji through The Healing Studio (Ọgwụ) Ltd, this practical and reflective session will explore imposter syndrome from both personal and structural perspectives.
Participants will consider how professional environments, identity, migration, exclusion, perfectionism and repeated experiences of being underestimated can influence confidence and belonging.
Using the Sankofa Reflective Framework, participants will be supported to look back at significant experiences, recognise what those experiences have taught them and carry forward the strengths that can support their progression.
The session will also introduce a Return to Progress leadership approach, encouraging participants to translate reflection into compassionate, purposeful and achievable action.
Participants will leave with:
• A clearer understanding of how imposter feelings may present
• Greater awareness of the personal and structural influences on professional confidence
• Recognition of strengths developed through lived experience
• A practical reflective framework they can continue to use
• One personally meaningful action to support their next stage of progression
Still Becoming-Continued Reflection
Participants who would like to explore the themes of imposter syndrome, belonging and healing-centred leadership beyond the conference may be interested in Still Becoming: A Healing-Centred Guide to Imposter Syndrome, Belonging and Leadership by Chidinma Victory Oforji.
The book expands on themes introduced through the Leadership That Heals breakout session, including perfectionism, identity, migration, professional belonging, lived experience and compassionate leadership. It includes reflective stories, practical questions and healing-centred activities that readers can work through at their own pace.
The book is an optional independent resource available for purchase through The Healing Studio (Ọgwụ) Publishing.
Purchase of this book is entirely optional and is not required to attend FearlessHER, participate in the Leadership That Heals session, receive CPD credits or access a CPD certificate. The book is an independent publication by the session facilitator and is not presented as an official publication of the conference or its funding partners.
Innovative Inclusive Poetry
Inclusive poetry will be used as a reflective learning method to explore identity, belonging, courage, visibility and the experiences women carry into professional spaces.
Through spoken word and storytelling, participants will be invited to engage with aspects of leadership and progression that may not always be captured through traditional presentations. The poetry contribution will create space for recognition, emotional connection and collective reflection while complementing the conference’s wider themes of breaking barriers and women uplifting women.
Wellbeing, Networking and Connection
FearlessHER recognises that professional development should include wellbeing, connection and opportunities to pause.
During lunch, participants will be able to visit wellbeing stalls and engage with supportive activities, including massage and other wellbeing experiences. There will also be dedicated time throughout the day for networking, informal conversation and connection with women working across health and social care.
Further information about the wellbeing contributors will be added when confirmed.
A Collaborative Conference
FearlessHER is a collaboratively developed conference bringing together funders, founders, independent event organisers, professional speakers, facilitators and health and social care leaders from across Greater Manchester.
Programme details, speakers and activities may be updated before the conference.
Venue
Boundary Park
Oldham Athletic Football Club
Furtherwood Road
Oldham
Greater Manchester
OL1 2PA
Participants should refer to their registration confirmation for final information about arrival, parking, accessibility and public transport.
Further venue and accessibility guidance will be added when confirmed by the event organiser.
For questions specifically relating to the Leadership That Heals workshop, inclusive poetry oplease contact The Healing Studio through: Contact
For registration, accessibility, venue or general conference enquiries, please contact the designated event organiser using the details supplied with your booking confirmation.