We provide a collective voice for the sector to demonstrate the power of Greater Manchester's nine Further Education Colleges.

GMColleges | Linktree

Steve Wright is a youth engagement specialist working in FE Colleges across the UK.

Using multimedia arts to create critical thinking environments for young learners. Misogyny, sexual harassment and consent, Prevent & British values.

‘Steve is a unique & experienced speaker who has a natural ability to attract and, more importantly, maintain the attention of any audience. He can make even the largest of groups feel as if they are individually sitting in a one-to-one environment with him’.

CCG 2026

‘Steve was brilliant - straight talking, passionate, unique and use of puppets to represent vulnerable voices was genius - thoroughly enjoyed the session’

SW ESOL Conference 2025

Steve Wright | Youth Engagement Specilist

Emma leads strategic initiatives focused on curriculum development, employer engagement, safeguarding, inclusion and staff development.

Emma currently leads the GM Colleges CPD programme, is the Northwest CTEC Sub-Regional Lead and the Armed Forces Greater Manchester Colleges Student Support (GMCSS) Project. She also oversees the GM Colleges Curriculum Specialist Boards, bringing together colleges, universities employers, and partners to support a collaborative approach to skills development across Greater Manchester.

Emma has held several senior leadership roles within further education, including as part of the Executive Team at Blackburn College, Assistant Principal and Head of Faculty positions across colleges in GM, and previously served in the Royal Navy as a Petty Officer physical training instructor.

Passionate about collaboration, Emma works to create opportunities that improve outcomes for learners, staff and employers across Greater Manchester and the wider North West.

Emma Goodlet | Collaboration & Projects Lead GMColleges

Polly is a highly skilled and experienced educational practitioner who has delivered training and presentations to audiences across the UK and Europe

She has worked in education for over 30 years and has a significant proven track record and an excellent reputation across the sector. For the past 13 years, she was Assistant Principal and Senior Designated Safeguarding lead at Kirklees College. Polly is a qualified Trauma and Mental Health National Practitioner (Distinction, TISUK), and a Senior Mental Health Lead and now delivers a range of staff development to post 16 educators as a private consultant.

Polly’s areas of expertise sit primarily in all aspects of safeguarding, equality, diversity & inclusion, restorative and trauma informed practice, positive behaviour, exploitation & radicalisation, coaching & mentoring and sexual harm and violence, gangs and knife crime.

In June 2026, Polly was awarded an MBE for services to FE.

Polly Harrow MBE | FE Student Support Champion

Geoff has been a magistrate in Greater Manchester for eight years sitting in the adult court where he also takes on the role as an appraiser and mentor. I

He's a member of the Crown Court Panel where magistrates sit with a judge to hear appeals from the magistrates court. 

Previously, Geoff served a term as a lay member of the Advisory Committee and as such was responsible for recommending new magistrates for appointment along with handling conduct issues. Working with the Youth Offending Service as a Community Panel member applying the principles of restorative justice would allow him to meet with young offenders sentenced to a Referral Order by the youth court, gaining vital insight and experience.

As a member of the Greater Manchester Magistrates Association Geoff is also an active member of the Magistrates in the Community team and regularly take part in presentations and workshops to schools, colleges and community groups. 

Geoffrey Thomas JP | Magistrate

Rachel has been a Magistrate for just over 11 years, sitting in the Adult and Youth Criminal Courts as a Presiding Justice, Appraiser and Mentor.  She also hear appeals with other members of the judiciary at the Crown Court. 

Rachel was elected as Chair of the Greater Manchester Youth Panel in April this year and is proud to represent the views of the GM judiciary across the 10 Youth Justice Boards in the region.

She is very passionate about Youth Justice and have led the Greater Manchester Magistrates in the Community (GM MIC) outreach initiative for the last 5 years.  


Rachel Medcalf JP | Magistrate and GM Youth Bench Chair 

Lis Hoyte BA Hons, MSc, is an accomplished educator, advocate, and trainer
specialising in coercive control awareness within educational environments. 

Drawing from nearly two decades of personal experience of coercive control, Lis possesses a strong background in frontline safeguarding and demonstrates unwavering dedication to advancing safe learning contexts. As a leading expert, and former member of the International Coercive Control Conference (ICCC), Lis assists young people, educators, and safeguarding professionals in identifying and understanding the complex dynamics associated with coercive control.

Lis Hoyte | Coercive Control Expert and CPD Accredited Trainer

After serving her time in parliament as the MP for Stretford and Urmston, Kate was appointed as Deputy Mayor in 2023 and takes responsibility for safer and stronger communities across the region.

Prior to her election to parliament, Kate was Chief Executive of the Child Poverty Action Group and before that Director of the National Council for One Parent Families (now Gingerbread). She worked in the Home Office between 1997 and 2010 on community safety, criminal justice and police reform, with a focus on performance measurement.

Kate Green | Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester

Antony has spent more than thirty-five years leading change across education and community life in some of the most deprived areas of England.  

He has led three failing schools to good, raised tens of thousands for families in hardship, and built partnerships that connect classrooms, charities and communities.

As Chair of Salford Families in Need, his charity helps more than 4,500 families each year with food, housing and dignity-first support. His purpose is to help others like those who supported and encouraged him when he was a looked after child in care.

At the end of this academic year, he retires as Education Lead for Greater Manchester’s Violence Reduction Unit. Antony will continue to work with professionals in schools and colleges to strengthen culture, reduce harm and build safer communities. 

Dr Antony Edkins | Education Lead at the GM Violence Reduction Unit

Safeguarding Conference Agenda 

Relationship Sex Education Toolkit | Association of Colleges

Safeguarding Conference Speakers

The REIGN Collective

Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit

Safeguarding Conference Feedback Survey

GMColleges

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GMColleges

We provide a collective voice for the sector to demonstrate the power of Greater Manchester's nine Further Education Colleges.

Safeguarding Conference Speakers

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