July 2026 - Drink, Drugs & Divergence Summer Event

On July 2nd, we welcomed 40 members to Hemsley House for the first summer event hosted by the GMMA. The theme of the event was ‘Drink, Drugs & Divergence’.

The event was very well received thanks to our speakers and the delicious dinner provided! We first heard from Dr Claire Neilson and Amy Burton about the importance of communication when working with neurodivergent court users.

We had CGL Ecylpse’s Jenny Sadler and Lucy Cooper, give us a demo of their ‘Drinking Goggles’ and members could have a go at putting their judgement to the test when ‘impaired’!

The evening was hosted by HHJ Andrew Berkley and GMMA Chair Rachel Medcalf who also provided a workshop on drugs and their impact on daily activites. Allowing members to work as a team to learn more about the drug use in Greater Manchester.

A new GMMA member, who joined the bench just this year stated ‘everyone was really friendly and the event was event was well organised, interactive and engaging!’.

Thank you to all who attended for making it such a great event! We hope to see you all again soon!