I’m delighted to be hosting Milton Keynes’ Great Get Together this year in collaboration with Camphill MK, bringing together residents from across our city for a day of friendship, community and celebration.
This event is particularly significant as we mark ten years since the murder of Jo Cox MP, a friend, campaigner and community champion whose message continues to inspire people across the country. Jo believed passionately that politics should bring people together, not drive them apart. In her maiden speech to Parliament, she said that we have “more in common than that which divides us”, words that are extremely relevant in the current landscape.
Following Jo’s death in 2016, her family and friends established The Great Get Together, an annual celebration of community, connection and kindness. Every year, people come together in parks, streets, community centres and public spaces to celebrate the things we share and the strength that comes from bringing different people together.
That spirit feels especially important today. Milton Keynes is a city built by people from different backgrounds who have chosen to make their lives here. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and our community is at its best when we celebrate it.
Held in partnership with Camphill Milton Keynes, the event will also celebrate the important role Camphill MK plays locally in bringing people together through community, creativity and inclusion. Camphill MK’s summer festival activity will include local craft stalls, entertainment, café refreshments and community activities, all at Camphill Milton Keynes Communities at Japonica Lane, Willen Park, Milton Keynes.
At a time when public debate can often feel divisive, this is an opportunity to focus on what brings us together. Jo Cox’s legacy reminds us that strong communities are built through understanding, respect and kindness, and that we all have a role to play in creating them.
Everyone is welcome, including families, residents, local businesses, schools, colleges, faith groups, charities, voluntary organisations, parish councils and community groups. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own picnic and, where they are able to, bring a little extra to share with others.
Please see event details below:
Friday 27th of June
10am–2pm
Camphill MK Midsummer Fair
Japonica Lane, MK15 9JY
For any further information, please contact my office at emily.darlington.mp@parliament.uk.