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A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN — 100 Years of Courage, Legacy, and Changemakers

In Conversation with Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles

Annual Edith Morley Event 2026

Join us for an unforgettable evening of the Women’s Month Edith Morley Lecture of the year, featuring insight, inspiration, and powerful storytelling. The first Black female Mayor in ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles, shares her remarkable journey, covering everything from challenges to change-making! This live interview session will uncover the passion, resilience, and bold decisions shaping her leadership and transforming our community using her Mayoral theme of ‘inequalities’ in ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø. Expect a lively atmosphere with thought-provoking discussions covering breast cancer health challenges, academia, social justice, loss of family members, volunteering and the gender and racial dynamics of black women. Come along for the opportunity to hear it all — unfiltered and up close.

The evening will also feature a live audience Q&A, giving you the chance to ask your own questions and engage directly with one of today’s most dynamic civic leaders. Whether you’re passionate about community development or love meaningful conversations, this event promises to leave you energised and inspired.

Reserve your seat and be part of the conversation shaping tomorrow.

Admission is FREE but booking is essential.

If you are attending Lift the Curfew on the same evening, you are welcome to join this event afterwards.

More about the Speaker:

DR ALICE MPOFU-COLES – MAYOR OF READING: EDITH MORLEY CELEBRATION

Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles was elected in May 2025 as the first black female Mayor of ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, and she is a local councillor in Whitley Ward, ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø. She was born and educated in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to a family of 4 boys and the only girl. All her family members are deceased. She later moved to Harare after getting a job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She served as a Diplomat in Belgrade, former Yugoslavia, and Maputo, Mozambique, during her career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles is a Senior Research Fellow at the ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø, working on community research projects and sits on the Race Equality and the University of Sanctuary strategy team. Her research uses a feminist and participatory action research approach that aims to improve community engagement and create, facilitate, & highlight a diverse space that gives the concerns and priorities of seldom-heard or marginalised communities a voice, enabling them to influence policies and decision-making. As a woman of refugee background, she advocates for refugees. She has been a trustee for numerous local and national charities and is currently an Ambassador and trustee for the City of Sanctuary, a refugee charity. Some of her voluntary work includes assessing the Universities of Sanctuary and the Councils of Sanctuary. She also volunteers as a Circle of Wisdom through the Global Female Wave of Change. She is a Quality of Life Associate – a charity for architects and builders that focuses on building with people, not for them. She is a member of various societies and groups and, for over 20 years, has volunteered with ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø Refugee Support Group as vice-chair and chair, including involvement in the EU Gruntivig Women’s Project – Women Refugees Learning Together in Europe.

Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles has received numerous awards for her work and contributions to various societies, including serving as a high-profile keynote speaker internationally, nationally, and locally, including for public bodies, government institutions, and charities. She was presented with an award by the then-President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique while serving as a diplomat in Maputo. Through her volunteer work with the City of Sanctuary – refugee charity, she was invited to Buckingham Palace in 2023 for a reception hosted by His Majesty the King to recognise and reflect on the United Kingdom’s contribution to humanitarian efforts worldwide. She has received excellence awards in recognition of her outstanding contributions. In 2014, she was awarded an Honorary Master of the University by the Open University for her services to refugees, communities, education, and the civil service. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and has written a book called Dear God from Your Poached Egg Breast about her journey. In 2025, she was named as a Leading Women to Watchᵀᴹ alongside women across many countries by an organisation in the USA.

A mother of 2 adult daughters, she is a keen reader of books, loves walking, serving the community and travelling.