As the year comes to an end, we’re looking back on 2025 and the growth, connection, and community impact it brought. Across Greater Manchester and beyond, Flourish Together has continued to support and encourage women’s leadership, well-being, enterprise, and personal development, and this past year’s achievements speak to the strength of our collective effort. From inspiring programme graduations to the launch of new initiatives, from community events to personal milestones, 2025 has been a year where women supported women, ideas took shape, and confidence flourished. See this year’s highlights shared by our team…
Anna Oliva, our Programmes and Evaluation Executive, shared that her most moving highlights of the year was the 2025 We Lead for Legacy Graduation, held on 27th November at the School of Digital Arts (SODA) at Manchester Metropolitan University. The event brought together graduates, families, civic leaders, allies, and partners to celebrate what it truly means to lead with community and legacy at the heart. A special moment was welcoming Mayor Andy Burnham, who congratulated the graduates and recognised the inspiring reflections shared by speakers Noreen Shahzad, Martina Witter, Ehiz Odigie, and Rehaan Farrukh. Their stories highlighted the depth of learning and ambition nurtured through the programme. The Mayor also reaffirmed Greater Manchester’s commitment to developing diverse leaders who shape policy and reflect the communities they serve. We look forward to continuing our partnership with She Leads for Legacy in 2026 as we grow the Alumni Network and support even more women stepping into civic leadership roles.
Since joining the team in September, Esther Bruer, our Hub and Events support coordinator has helped bring new energy and connection to the Flourish Hub at Platform 4, Altrincham Interchange. Our second Hub and events space has become a vibrant space where creativity, wellbeing, and collaboration thrive. A major milestone this year was the launch of the Wellbeing Collective, a network of local therapists coming together to share ideas, collaborate, and support one another in growing their practices. Partnering with SPLASH has also been uplifting, offering women practical support and confidence as they take their next steps. The Christmas Bazaar brought festive joy to the Hub, showcasing local talent through arts, crafts, and wellbeing stalls, while the Soup Pitch added an exciting opportunity for local businesses to pitch for funding. Esther also highlighted the warmth and generosity of the Flourish team, a reminder that our impact is rooted in the strength of the people behind the work.
This year also marked the arrival of Genny Cotroneo, who joined Flourish Together in July as our new Enterprise and Learning Manager. One of Genny’s standout experiences has been running one of the Time to Grow programmes for the first time, supporting an inspiring group of women as they developed social enterprises and business ideas designed to bring real, lasting value to their communities. The Stockport group were incredibly welcoming and deeply engaged from the outset, creating a generous, thoughtful space where ideas could take root and grow. Genny also had the pleasure of meeting the Manchester‑based group, led by the brilliant Shamime Jan, and although she hasn’t yet met the Bury group in person, it’s been wonderful to hear that they are going from strength to strength.
The social enterprises emerging from Genny’s group reflect the care, creativity, and courage of the women behind them, from an organisation offering adventure‑based experiences for marginalised people who often feel excluded or unseen, to a catering business that blends great food with opportunities for participants to learn English as a second language, to a podcast exploring the complexity of life in all its messiness. With one more session together in January, there is still work to do, but it’s already clear that this group is ready to fly, and we can’t wait to see where they land.
Joining the team in November, as an Enterprise and Learning Manager Abby Taylor, Enterprise and Learning Manager, has already experienced some of the most inspiring moments of the year. Attending the We Lead for Legacy graduation offered a powerful introduction to the depth of transformation Flourish programmes create. Hearing participants share their journeys, lessons, and next steps left a lasting impression. Abby has also been energised by meeting women changemakers through the Time to Grow programmes and one-to-one sessions. Their commitment to identifying challenges in their communities, and taking action to address them, has been both motivating and humbling.
Lizbeth Sepulveda, our Stockport based Hub and Administration Coordinator, has found 2025 to be a year of meaningful connection and personal development. Working alongside so many empowering women has been a highlight, and witnessing the support shared within the community has been deeply inspiring. Lizbeth has enjoyed meeting new hub clients as well as connecting with the core tenants at our Heaton Chapel Hub. A key part of her year has been focusing on self‑growth and mindfulness, both personally through participating in the First Aid and the Careers in Holistic Health courses, and in the way she supports others. Seeing how these practices help women and men build confidence and resilience has been especially rewarding.
Nickala Torkington, our Managing Director has been proud to lead such an impactful year with growing Enterprise, Leadership and Wellbeing programmes. Particular highlights have been our Time to Grow programmes running across Stockport, Bury, Manchester, Salford and Trafford during the year. Nickala also enjoyed working in partnership with local grass roots and infrastructure agencies. Partnerships with Happy Me Community CIC, Bollyfit CIC, ITC and Salford CVS, as well as local councils, and the WEA, have been beneficial and a way to capacity build organisations led by diverse women to become part of our delivery team, aiding their sustainability as well as reaching wider communities.
About to enter its 3rd cycle led by She Leads for Legacy and Flourish Together, the We Lead for Legacy campaign is going from Strength to Strength. A particularly proud moment was at this past year’s graduation event where Andy Burnham attended saying that the programme had become everything he had hoped that it would!
Plus with the departure of Fiona Jones as lead tutor in September on our Careers in Holistic Health work (Fiona stays on as Director), it has been great to expand the team on our accredited courses and wellbeing programmes and support Emma Harrop, Christina Egeonu, Clare Whittaker and Claire Ferguson to deliver this work which continues with a diverse programme into 2026 ranging from First Aid training to L2 and L3 Natural Beauty and Holistic Therapy courses from our Altrincham and Stockport Hubs. Supporting over 50 women across Stockport, Salford, Bury and Trafford to upskill on our community-based courses has been a real highlight, especially where it is building the skills of young people and those out of work when they access our courses.
A special mention goes out to Soniya Iqbal who joined courses at the start of 2025 and is now running her own therapy business and operating out of our Stockport Hub and wider Pop Up Spa events including a new partnership with Stockport Signpost for Carers who are commissioning a monthly spa for their carers locally.
As we close the chapter on 2025, we’re filled with gratitude for everyone who has been part of our journey, programme participants, partners, collaborators, funders, and the incredible women who continue to inspire us every day. 2026 promises even more opportunities to grow, connect, and create lasting impact. We look forward to expanding our programmes, strengthening our networks, and continuing to champion women’s leadership and well-being across Greater Manchester. Here’s to another year of flourishing together!
