A community in Erewash will be hosting a Queen’s tea party to help bring people together at the end of June.
The annual ‘Great Get Together’ in memory of the murdered MP Jo Cox is taking a new form this year because of coronavirus and the borough of Erewash is leading by example.
Dee Gleed-Owen from Ilkeston plans to host a Queen’s tea party for her neighbours, as well as a fancy dress fashion show with prizes awarded to the most extravagant and outrageous outfits. Dee was inspired to host a Great Get Together event after her VE Day tea party celebrations helped build new connections within her community, as neighbours who had previously never spoken came together and even asked Dee if they could repeat that sense of community with another event in time for the Great Get Together.
Jo Cox’s sister, Kim Leadbeater, said: “Over the past few months we have seen an amazing response from communities around the UK to the Covid-19 epidemic. It’s a reminder of Jo’s approach, one we have adopted at her Foundation, that wherever possible we should focus on what we can do, rather than what we can’t do. I think Dee’s plans for Ilkeston are brilliant. They are a fantastic example of why we’ve decided that the Great Get Together, which has always been rooted in community, will go ahead – just in a slightly different way!”
Every year since her murder in 2016, thousands of people across the UK have got together to remember Jo Cox and her message that we all have more in common than that which divides us. In 2020 the ‘Great Get Together’ will take a different form, but the weekend of Jo’s birthday on June 19th-21st will still be an opportunity for people to connect with others in their communities.
Catherine Anderson, CEO of the Jo Cox Foundation, said: "The Great Get Together is special every year - but perhaps even more so this year as we all find new and innovative ways to reach out to our friends, neighbours and to those in need in our communities, in extremely challenging times. Inspired by Jo, we want to make sure that our incredible Great Get Together family across the UK can continue to celebrate Jo's values, which resonate now more than ever before. Strengthened bonds and more connected communities will be one of the legacies of covid-19, and we believe that experience of togetherness will outlast the present crisis and endure long into the future."
See what’s happening around the country or register a new event at www.greatgettogether.org