Deputy Mayor – Councillor Janet Emsley
Deputy Mayor of Rochdale 2024-2025
Born in Littleborough and brought up in Hull and Rochdale, Janet went to Cavendish Road Primary School and Malet Lambert Grammar School in Hull. Her family moved back to Rochdale in 1968 where she attended Redbrook Middle School and Oulder Hill Community School.
Deputy Mayor - Councillor Janet Emsley
After attending Hull University where she achieved a BA (Hons) in Social Studies she took 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.
In 2014 she was elected as councillor for Littleborough Lakeside. She has been cabinet member for health, wellbeing, culture and communities and presently equity, safety and reform. Janet represents Rochdale at Greater Manchester level and serves on many boards and trusts as a volunteer.
A proud mother, grandmother and great grandmother she still finds time for family and enjoys travelling. Janet’s passion is culture: literature, music, theatre, dance, heritage, arts and crafts and she takes every opportunity to champion, participate and enjoy these. Janet is honoured to serve the community and is committed to community cohesion, young people and the borough.