James Austin, Campaigns Officer at The Great Get Together, talks about the annual event - taking place this year between 23 and 25 June - and shares how u3as can get take part.
“We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.”
When Jo Cox said this during her maiden speech in the House of Commons she didn’t know how iconic it would become. It was a simple statement of values, made by a woman who had spent her entire life campaigning for and living them.
Just over a year after she made that statement, Jo was murdered due to her beliefs while on her way to a constituency surgery. As a response, Jo’s family and friends came together to run the first ever Great Get Together - to celebrate her life, her values and the way she’d changed the world for the better.
The event has been running ever since, an annual celebration of what we have in common and a rejection of division. A Great Get Together can be anything; a walk, a book club or a cup of tea with a neighbour. Provided that it’s positive and connects people it can be a Great Get Together!
We know that u3a interest groups already do an amazing job of bringing communities together - getting together is what the u3a is about. We want to celebrate this during this year’s Great Get Together and offer an opportunity to reach out to new people.
For example, your u3a could use the Great Get Together as an opportunity to do something different, to reach out to a different audience or to simply publicise what you do already. It is a well known and widely publicised festival and you can take advantage of this to spread the word.
The Great Get Together runs between 23 - 25 June but you’re welcome to run events outside of this period if that works better for you. You can find out more and register your event at GreatGetTogether.org/2023
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