Over the weekend in which Jo Cox would have been turning 50, and with the General Election approaching, communities across the UK will be celebrating unity and rejecting division this weekend through the Great Get Together (21-23 June). The events bring to life the message from Jo Cox’s first speech in Parliament: ”We have more in common than that which divides us”.
Run by The Jo Cox Foundation, each year the Great Get Together takes place on the weekend closest to Jo Cox’s birthday (22 June) and it has become the UK’s annual celebration of everything that unites our communities.
The over 400 Great Together events planned for this weekend include the huge Bankside Great Get Together in London, a Poetry and Pints night at a pub in Llantwit Major (South Wales), and a printmaking workshop in Huddersfield around the themes of ‘home’ and ‘special places’, as well as barn dances, street parties, pizza parties and barbecues in neighbourhoods across the country.
Su Moore, CEO of The Jo Cox Foundation, said:
“All around the UK this weekend, Great Get Together events will be community spaces where people from different backgrounds can come together, get to know each other, and - in many cases - begin friendships. Just as there are countless things that unite us, there are countless ways to run a Great Get Together, with events taking place this weekend in parks, pubs, streets, and libraries. Over the last eight years, millions of people have taken part in the Great Get Together and anyone can join in by hosting their own or heading to our map to find their nearest.”
Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, Chair of The Jo Cox Foundation and Former Home Secretary, said:
“The need to celebrate unity and to reject division is as relevant now as it was at the first Great Get Together in 2017. This weekend, on what would have been Jo’s 50th birthday, we’re looking forward to seeing how her ‘more in common’ message is continuing to inspire people to bring their communities together. The Great Get Together is an opportunity for us all to remember Jo’s life and values as we celebrate all that we have in common.”
To get involved, find your nearest event on the Great Get Together map or host your own. Join the conversation and share your event on social media with the hashtags #MoreInCommon and #GreatGetTogether.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
To arrange interviews about The Great Get Together, please contact Victoria Sowerby at Clearsilver Brand Marketing on victoria.sowerby@clearsilver.co.uk or call 0113 238 3066
Spokespeople available:
o Su Moore, CEO of the Jo Cox Foundation.
o Rt Hon Jacqui Smith, Chair of the Jo Cox Foundation and former Home Secretary.
• Details of events across the UK are available on our online map
• Photos of the Great Get Together, Jo Cox, and logos available to download here
• Please find here a video on the history of the Great Get Together.
ABOUT THE JO COX FOUNDATION:
The Jo Cox Foundation makes meaningful change on issues that the late Jo Cox MP was passionate about. The charity works in three areas: nurturing stronger communities, championing respect in politics and advocating for a fairer world. Underpinning this work is the understanding that we have more in common than that which divides us. Jo Cox was murdered on 16 June 2016 in the place she loved – Batley and Spen – doing the work she loved, as an MP on behalf of her constituents.
