Our first in-person workshop brought the cohort together in Manchester for an OLS Ally Skills workshop, a DisCouRSE update, and their first structured peer-mentoring session.
Held on 2 June 2026 at the Samuel Alexander Building, University of Manchester (Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL), this was the cohort’s first full day together.
Agenda
- 09:30 – Welcome & coffee.
- 09:40 – Introduction to the day.
- 09:45 – OLS Ally Skills workshop (with a break in the middle). A practical session on recognising oppression and responding as an ally – learning and rehearsing real-world scenarios, from creating a friendly environment to confronting overt harassment, and how to make long-term systemic change.
- 12:15 – Lunch.
- 13:00 – DisCouRSE presentation + Q&A. Gillian Sinclair introduced the DisCouRSE project, how it supports underrepresented dRTPs, and opportunities to get involved and apply for funding.
- 13:15 – Peer-Mentoring Session (with a break in the middle). Fellows met their peer-mentoring groups and were introduced to the structured peer-mentoring format, practising through role-play and their own work cases, and taking home resources to self-organise for the rest of the programme.
- 15:40 – Close. Summary of the day and next steps.
Next up: the virtual workshop on systemic leadership with OLS on 7 July 2026.
