Community picnics in Brighton and Hove will honour Jo Cox

A host of '˜Great Get Together' events are taking part across the UK in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox, one year after her death.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Jun 2017, 15:07 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 05:08 BST

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Jo Cox SUS-160617-105901001Jo Cox SUS-160617-105901001
Jo Cox SUS-160617-105901001

The events are set to bring communities together, inspired by Mrs Cox’s belief that ‘we have far more in common than that which divides us’.

In Brighton and Hove, befriending charity Impetus is holding a picnic at Palmeira Square on Saturday (June 17) from midday until 2pm.

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Jo Ivens, CEO of Brighton and Hove Impetus, said: “With the great support we’ve been getting from our friends in the Palmeria Square area, businesses, residents and other charities, we’re really looking forward to bringing local people and visitors together at our community picnic.”

An event just down the road in Norfolk Square will take place on Saturday from 1pm to 5pm, with neighbours bringing food and drink to share.

Also on Saturday, FIELD at Preston Barracks is holding a summer fete from 11am to 4pm, with a BBQ, picnic area, street party, bike activities and stalls.

On Sunday (June 18), an event will be held on Barnett Road from 2pm to 5pm, where neighbours are invited to bring something to eat and drink and get to know each other better.

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The events are all part of the Great Get Together weekend, to commemorate the anniversary of Jo Cox’s murder on June 16, 2016.

Brendan Cox, Jo’s husband, said: “In the last few weeks we have been awed by the scale of the reaction to the idea of the Great Get Together taking place this weekend. The Great Get Together is the very simple idea of getting together with our neighbours and sharing food.

“We are already aware of almost 120,000 events across the country from street parties to barbecues and picnics - and I know that that is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

“Communities coming together in this way is more important now than ever. After the election and even more so after the horrific attacks in Manchester and London there is a huge ground swell of people who just want to focus on the things that unite us, who want to draw closer to their neighbours and communities. I think people are sick of the narrative of hatred and division that neither represents who they are nor our country.

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“We hope these events give us all a moment - as my wife talked about in her maiden speech - to focus on the things we have in common. These events were inspired by Jo and mark her anniversary, but I hope they play a wider role in bringing us closer together. I also hope they are fun, full of energy and laughter. That’s what Jo would have wanted.”

To find out more about the Great Get Together weekend, visit: nvite.com/community/thegreatgettogether

If you are putting on a Great Get Together event we have not listed, email [email protected] with the details.

Related topics:Jo CoxBrightonHove