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Versus 26

Conference
Programme

Thriving women

Welcome


Hello Queen! A royal welcome to our fourth conference VERSUS 2026! We are honoured to have you with us another year. Your presence is also a jewel in our crown, and we genuinely hope this day brings you immense blessings.
The day goes by super quickly, and in anticipation of the whirlwind, we've crafted this booklet to ensure you seamlessly navigate every moment. We hope it becomes your trusted companion, guiding you directly to the resources tailored to meet your needs.

Enjoy the journey!
Salomé Criddle
Salomé Criddle
TWIRL Founder & Author
  • Who we are


    TWIRL, which stands for Thriving Women In Real Life, represents a Christian women's movement dedicated to offering services, resources, and events for women from diverse life experiences and backgrounds. Our central goal is to facilitate access to connections, resources, services, and initiatives that empower women in our community to flourish.
    While our approach may be unconventional and cutting edge, our utmost priority is to leave a positive impact on the lives within our reach.
  • What do we do?

    It can be very complicated to describe TWIRL to those who have never heard of us. So we have broken it down into three points.

    Resources
    Books, challenges, courses & boutique
    Events
    Conferences, retreats, nights out & online events
    Partnership
    Supporting thrive focussed charities and businesses
VERSUS
26
Speakers

Circle
Ruth Clarke
Ruth Clarke
Worship leader
Ruth Clarke is a gifted worship leader, vocalist, songwriter and recording artist. Her ministry is marked by heartfelt passion and authenticity.

Read more
As a wife, mother, and itinerant worship-minister, she brings warmth, vulnerability and real-life testimony into every event she leads. We are honoured to welcome Ruth Clarke as one of our worship leaders at the conference.

Circle
Bobbi Kumari
Bobbi Kumari
Living in Light Founder
Bobbi Kumari is the founder of Living in Light, a creative brand dedicated to promoting faith, identity, and purpose through fashion, media, and teaching. She is an author and speaker best known for Sacred Sexuality, which explores biblical perspectives on intimacy and wholeness.

Read more
Drawing on her background in fashion and education, Bobbi engages audiences with authenticity and creative insight. Her work includes workshops, consultancy, and media designed to empower individuals in identity and spiritual freedom. At our conference, she will be sharing her transformative insights on singleness and sexuality, speaking with her trademark warmth and depth.

Circle
Toni Kelly
Toni Kelly
Panelist
Toni has had careers in broadcasting, TV, running her own travel business. She carries creativity, grace, and excellence with ease.

Read more
If you ask her what brings her the deepest joy? She’s a passionate grandmother. Toni will be a panellist alongside Lesley Edwards, sharing on SINGLENESS IN THE LATER YEARS

Circle
Lesley Edwards
Lesley Edwards
Lead Panelist
Lesley Edwards is an incredibly talented woman with a heart of GOLD. She is a prayer warrior, a singer and an excellent baker. She is gifted in so many ways. An avid traveller with a deep passion for her three grandsons.

Read more
She is our new panel facilitator for this year’s conference. She will be guiding the discussion on SINGLENESS IN THE LATER YEARS. Lesley is our founder’s mother and an honorary TWIRLer. This year she is taking her placee as a woman on the front line. As a woman of faith, experience, insight, she’s single in her later years, and perfectly qualified to lead this important discussion.

Circle
Loraine Davies
Loraine Davies
Speaker
Loraine is the author of Developing Kingdom Resilience, The Truest Thing About You Is What God Says About You, and five series of Lent Devotions.

Read more
She regularly preaches at her home church, Kingsland Community Church in Colchester.

Circle
Paula Thompson
Paula Thompson
Choir Director
Paula is a choir director and singer who has travelled throughout the UK and Europe, inspiring others to uncover and share their talents.

Read more
This year, she joins us with her international choir, Adorned Community Gospel Choir.

Circle
Melissa Milan
Melissa Milan
Panelist
Melissa is a wellbeing coach, speaker, and events host, podcast host of Mel’s Truthful Tuesdays. Addressing taboo topics in the Christian space.

Read more
At VERSUS 2026, Melissa will be joining Lesley Edwards on our powerful panel to discuss SINGLENESS IN THE LATTER YEARS — exploring how she ministers from this space with authenticity, faith, and strength. Her voice will bring heart and fire to the stage, and we know you’ll be blessed by here journey.

Circle
Sal Criddle
Sal Criddle
TWIRL Founder
Salomé is founder of TWIRL (Thriving Women in Real Life), author of three books: A whole New Bundle of Love, Secrets She Holds and The Thriving Woman.

Read more
She is a regular contributor to Premier’s Woman Alive magazine, where she explores thought-provoking and sometimes controversial topics. Beyond her work as an author and businesswoman, Salomé is a praise and worship leader, singer-songwriter, and her latest release, Thrive, is now available on all digital platforms.

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Schedule

am

10:00 - 10:05

Inductions and Welcome

10:05 - 10:10

Opening Prayer

10:10 - 10:40

Praise and Worship

10:40 - 11:25

Speaker One: Salomé Criddle
"Versus introduction"
Questions and votes
am

11:25 - 11:40

Coffee Break

11:40 - 12:30

Speaker Two: Bobbi Kumari
"Singleness, Sex and the Sacred"
Questions and votes
noon

12:30 - 13:30

Lunch
Networking and Connect
pm

13:30 - 14:00

Praise and Worship
pm

14:00 - 14:40

Panel Discussions
Toni, Melissa & Lesley

14:40 - 15:00

Songs with Paula Thompson
pm

15:00 - 15:15

Coffee Break

15:15 - 16:15

Speaker Three: Loraine Davies
"Sex, Sexuality, Intimacy and Marriage"
Questions and votes
pm

16:15 - 16:45

Breakout spaces / Discussions

16:45 - 16:55

Breakthroughs / stories

16:55 - 17:00

Closing Prayer
VERSUS
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Notes

Make personal conference notes here:
To save your notes, enter an email address.
We don't store your notes or email address. This is simply for your reference only.
THE
Hub

The heartbeat of our mission is to nuture thrive conducive community.
Find your accountability partner
Connect with other thrive conscious women within our community. Find your prayer partner or accountability partner.
Access our courses, archives & interviews
Have unlimited access to our courses. Watch archives of our previous events and interviews.
Develop new skills
Flex your thrive with a variety of skill developing resources.
Connect with TWIRL members
Deepeen relationships, network and establish life changing connections with other members.
Join our live events
Our members only events cater to your thrive journey.
Locked in price - forever!
Stay at the lowest price regardless of any price increases.




Thrive 26
Thrive 26
Thrive 26
Thrive 26
Connecting

Connect


Our programme is filled with opportunities to connect with our thrivers. During our connect sessions, you can build relationships with women in the TWIRL community by completing the activities below.

Participation in the connect sessions are optional, you can use the time to reflect and take notes on the information provided by speakers etc.

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Questions

To ask another community member.
  • Q:
    What's your name?
  • Q:
    How did you find out about TWIRL?
  • Q:
    What do you hope to gain from attending this conference today?
  • Q:
    Tell me something funny that happened to you this week?
  • Q:
    How can I pray for you?
  • Q:
    What's one lesson that you've taken from this conference so far?
There are 7 main areas in life that are important for all of us
  • Social & family relationships
  • Career & educational aspirations
  • Financial security
  • Physical health/leisure
  • Life's routine responsibilities
  • Society & contribution
  • Mental, emotional & inner well-being
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26
Activities

Answer these questions with your conference partner.
Circle
Profile
Q:Which British businesswoman founded The Body Shop and became one of the UK’s most prominent self-made female millionaires?
A
Jane Austen
B
Anita Roddick
C
Emmeline Pankhurst
D
Margaret Thatcher

Circle
Profile
Q:In the Bible, who was known for her wisdom and became a queen of Persia?
A
Deborah
B
Ruth
C
Esther
D
Mary

Circle
Profile
Q:Who is considered the founder of modern nursing, known for her work during the Crimean War?
A
Clara Barton
B
Florence Nightingale
C
Mary Seacole
D
Jane Addams

Circle
Profile
Q:In the Bible, who was a judge and prophetess, leading Israel in a time of crisis?
A
Deborah
B
Hannah
C
Miriam
D
Abigail

Circle
Profile
Q:Who was the mother of Samuel, the prophet, in the Bible?
A
Sarah
B
Rebekah
C
Ruth
D
Hannah

Group questions
Share and discuss your own areas with your conference partner.
Q:What story or belief about men or women did you grow up hearing, and how has that belief shaped your relationships today?
Q:In your experience, what makes communication between men and women difficult, and what could help bridge that gap?
Q:Think about a healthy relationship you’ve witnessed. What qualities made it strong, and how can we cultivate those qualities in our own relationships?
Q:What role do humility and empathy play when men and women disagree? Can you share a time when understanding changed a conflict?
Q:If we truly want stronger relationships between men and women in our communities, what practical steps can we start taking today?

  • Seleine Mills
  • Eleyna Dodd
  • Ophelia Griffin
  • Janette Lake
  • Gertrude Patel
  • Meera Sanvil
  • Aoi Ming Lee
  • Isabelle Hayes
  • Thandiwe Bhuyeni
  • Tajah Leraye
  • Kalli Kalogeropoulos
Choose a profile
Read your Thriving Woman profile to your conference partner.
Then answer the following questions:
Seleine Mills
Seleine Mills
Seleine Mills

Seleine has always followed the rules. She listened to her parents when they give her 'instructions. Deep down, she's always been afraid that her choices will lead to her making mistakes. Seleine is afraid of making mistakes. She's lived such a repressed life that she is unabe to recognise what decisions are hers and what decisions have been imposed upon her by others. Seleine is now on anti-depressants and heavily depends on them to deal wiith the anxiety that she feels about her lifes circumstance.

Eleyna Dodd
Eleyna Dodd
Eleyna Dodd

Eleyna has recently had her 7th child. She absolutely adores her babies but she has had to fight to keep her identity and raise past the stigmas that come with having a large family. After being out of work for a very long time, she's struggling with identifying what career she would like to pursue in this next season of her life. She feels immense pressure to 'choose anything' for the sake of the finances. However, she is considering going back to college for a career change. Most of her friends and family will not be happy to hear her decision, especially her husband...

Ophelia Griffin
Ophelia Griffin
Ophelia Griffin

On the outside, Ophelia seems like the most confident girl you'll ever meet. She's stunning, bright, bubbly and all her friends tag her as the 'social butterfly'. She's stunning and lights up any room she walks into. Most of her life seems perfect and everything seems in the right place. However, underneath it all, Ophelia is empty, suicidal and unable to move past the hollow feeling that simmers deep within her. She tries to fight how she feels, but she's not sure how much longer she can hold on...

Janette Lake
Janette Lake
Janette Lake

Janette has a painful history. Her parents virtually neglected her as a child, but somehow she found the strength to push through and has drastically improved the state of her life. She now has an amazing family network around her and you could say that she is doing incredibly well. Janet has a temper. She knows it's out of control and that it is sabotaging everything that she has in her life right now... but how do you change a habit that has been with you for so long?

Gertrude Patel
Gertrude Patel
Gertrude Patel

Gert has felt alienated for years. Her only daughter stopped speaking to her 15 years ago because she was not happy with Gert's new hushand. He's now been dead for 3 years and she has tried to reach out to her daughter quite a few times. Gertrude is terminally ill and wants to make closer before it's too late. She doesn't want to tell her daughter about her illness before they've worked through their disagreement. If she doesn't get through to her daughter before her illness progresses, then she will cut her out of her will and her life.

Meera Sanvil
Meera Sanvil
Meera Sanvil

Meera is a dancer and she's passionate about it. It's all that she's ever wanted to do. However, she's aware that she is getting older and that opportunities are drying up. It feels like her passion is working against her. Everything and everyone in her life is pressurising her to change career but she really doesn't want to.

Aoi Ming Lee
Aoi Ming Lee
Aoi Ming Lee

Aoi is a single mother. She has managed to juggle motherhood and her career very well... until now. She has started to feel the pinch of the cost of living crisis and the numbers are not working for her. She's burnt out from working long hours and trying to make ends meet. The only bread winner in the house, Aoi is out of ideas of how to stop herself from becoming snowed under financially.

Isabelle Hayes
Isabelle Hayes
Isabelle Hayes

Ms Hayes has always been driven. From her childhood, she's always known that she would be a lawyer and the best at what she does. She's been so focused on success in her career that everything else has suffered. She's never been married or had a family (even though she liked the idea, she's never had time). Seh never travels or goes out with her friends. She feels disconnected from God. She has intense panic attacks from work pressure. She's afraid that she'll die with nothing achieved but the semblances of a high flying career.

Thandiwe Bhuyeni
Thandiwe Bhuyeni
Thandiwe Bhuyeni

Thandiwe is an aspiring influencer with a passion for makeup, fashion and beauty. She's really good at it. However, Thandiwe has felt the pressure to be as 'pretty as her influencer peers. Thandiwe has struggled with eating disorders... but she wouldn't classify them as eating disorders because she thinks that she's being a little bit more disciplined than everyone else. After all... 'no pain, no gain... right?!'

Tajah Leraye
Tajah Leraye
Tajah Leraye

Tajah has recently come into A LOT of money. She's been with her husband for 17 years and they've always had separate accounts. She's spent alot of those years carrying him financially (she thinks he's been lazy and unsupportive). Tajah doesn't want to tell him about the money. Tajah isn't even sure that she wants to be in her marriage anymore. She is trying to find a way to break away from the marriage without him ever knowing that there was any money. She's not sure that she'll be able to get away with it...

Kalli Kalogeropoulos
Kalli Kalogeropoulos
Kalli Kalogeropoulos

Kalli is talented, popular and stunning. When she was growing up, she always felt like she was the ugly duckling. Even though she is in the best shape of her life... She still feels incredibly ugly and unloved. That little girl is still somewhere inside telling her that it's never enough. Also she has been on quite a few disasterous dates. She feels like she is cursed to have bad relationships.

Q:What is something you think men could better understand about women?
Q:What is something you think women sometimes misunderstand about men?
Q:What responsibility do you think women and men each have in building healthier relationships?

Friends of TWIRL

DIRECTORY

Broadway Theatre
Broadway Theatre
Lewisham-based theatre for comedy, music, drama and more.
Christian Aid
Christian Aid
Creating a world free from poverty.
Christians Against Poverty
Christians Against Poverty
Free professional debt & budgeting advice.
Esther Community Enterprise
Esther Community Enterprise
Redistributing food to the homeless & those in need.
J'Delle
J'Delle
Fragrances for men and women.
KingsHeart Church
KingsHeart Church
A vibrant Romford-based community church.
Kingsland Church
Kingsland Church
A community-focused Colchester-based church.
Kintsugi Hope
Kintsugi Hope
Mental wellbeing groups.
Love Literacy
Love Literacy
Online courses and private tuition.
Lxsh box boudoir
Lxsh box boudoir
Essex-based beauty, cosmetics & personal care.
MDS Mentoring
MDS Mentoring
Empowering Black Women to thrive.
Montanna Empress
Montanna Empress
Christian lifestyle advice.
Pray LDN
Pray LDN
Sharing Christ through the Word, Clothing, Art & Music
Refuge
Refuge
For women & children in domestic violence.
Restore
Restore
Contemplative prayer day retreat.
STAR
STAR
Supporting those affected by addiction & compulsive behaviours.
StepChange
StepChange
Free debt & financial advice.
Tearfund
Tearfund
A Christian charity tackling poverty and injustice.
The Gospel Outreach Ministry
The Gospel Outreach Ministry
A welcoming Pentecostal church in Muswell Hill.
Vocaltrepeneur
Vocaltrepeneur
Vocal & performance coaching.
Webx Design
Webx Design
Affordable small business websites.
Women Alive
Woman Alive
Monthly magazine connecting Christian women.
Women of Purpose
Women of Purpose
Seminars, conferences, retreats and other Christian events.

Get involved


The TWIRL Boutique
Now available at this conference!

Purchase books, clothing and courses at our 'pop-up' shop.
Ask our hospitality team for more information.

Donate
Your donations will help build a better community.

As a result we will be able to impact the thrive journey of countless other women.

Volunteer with us
We need you!

If you are passionate about blessing others...
If you want to be part of our incredible team, sign up here:

The TWIRL Boutique

Now available at this conference!

Purchase books, clothing and courses at our 'pop-up' shop. Ask our hospitality team for more information.

Donate

Your donations will help build a better community.

As a result we will be able to impact the thrive journey of countless other women.

Volunteer with us

We need you!

If you are passionate about blessing others... If you want to be part of our incredible team, sign up here:

Thank you!
For coming to Versus 26
A special thanks to everyone who contributed to make this event happen. Thank you Central Baptist Church for use of this space. Thank you to the team, community and visitors of this event. Today would not be what it is without you!
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