Mayor - Councillor Janet Emsley
The Mayor of Rochdale 2025-2026
Born in Littleborough and brought up in Hull and Rochdale, Janet went to Cavendish Road Primary School and Malet Lambert Grammar School in Hull.
Mayor - Councillor Janet Emsley
Her family moved back to Rochdale in 1968 where she attended Redbrook Middle School and Oulder Hill Community School. After attending Hull University, where she achieved a BA (Hons) in Social Studies, Janet went on to study for her PGCE Teaching Certificate at De Le Salle College, Middleton. Her first teaching post was at Balderstone Community School. Janet also taught at Oulder Hill, Redbrook and Buckley Hall Detention Centre before beginning work at Wardle High School in 1989. Here she taught until 2015, finishing her career as director of performing arts before retiring from teaching.
She has proudly represented Littleborough Lakeside since 2014, has been cabinet member for health, wellbeing, culture and community, and equity, safety and reform in addition to being deputy leader of the council. She represents Rochdale at GM level as chair of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel and serves on the Hallé Concerts Society and Littleborough Nursing Association boards, and other trusts as a volunteer. She is our Armed Forces Champion and Patron of the New Pioneers. A proud mother, grandmother and great grandmother Janet still finds time for family and enjoys travelling.
Mayor - Councillor Janet Emsley with husband and Consort to the Mayor of Rochdale – Mr Ken Emsley.
Throughout her life Janet has championed her passion: the arts and culture; she takes every opportunity to participate in and enjoy literature, music, theatre, dance, heritage, arts and crafts. She has been involved in bringing Gracie Fields’ statue and trail to fruition and welcoming Dippy, Gaia and Rochdale’s Uprising murals to Rochdale. As Rochdale’s first citizen Janet has appointed a poet laureate and young poets in residence and looks forward to participating in Rochdale’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture.
She is honoured to serve the community and is committed to community cohesion, young people and the borough.