The late Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox will be remembered on what would have been her 50th birthday this coming weekend by the annual national event which celebrates unity inspired after her tragic killing.

Communities across the country will be celebrating the Great Get Together from Friday, June 21 to Sunday, June 23 in events which bring to life the message from Jo’s first speech in Parliament: “We have more in common than that which divides us”.

Run by The Jo Cox Foundation, the Great Get Together takes place on the weekend closest to Jo’s birthday, June 22, each year and has become the UK’s annual celebration of everything that unites the country’s communities.

Su Moore, CEO of The Jo Cox Foundation, said:

The late Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox will be remembered on what would have been her 50th birthday this coming weekend at Great Get Together events across the country.

placeholder image — The late Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox will be remembered on what would have been her 50th birthday this coming weekend at Great Get Together events across the country.

‘I just can’t thank them enough for what they are doing’ - Headstone business st...

“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.”

Thousands turned out for Great Get Together events across Batley and Spen last year. From left to right, Rachael Farrar, Jean Sidedlecka, Dawn Beadle and Dr Chantel Ratcliffe of Grove House Surgery enjoying their time at the Great Health and Wellbeing Get Together in Wilton Park, Batley.

There are over 400 Great Together events planned for this weekend, including a community lunch in Dewsbury and a printmaking workshop in Huddersfield around the themes of home and special places. Further afield there is the huge Bankside Great Get Together taking place in London and a Poetry and Pints night at a pub in Llantwit Major in Wales.

There will also be barn dances, street parties, pizza parties and barbecues in neighbourhoods across the country.

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 or further information, visit: https://www.jocoxfoundation.org/our-work/stronger-communities/great-get-together/