Celebrations planned to mark life of MP Jo

PEOPLE ACROSS West Yorkshire are being urged to celebrate the life of much-missed MP Jo Cox,

by giving their support to this year’s Great Get Together.

Taking place for the second time, the nationwide festival of community gatherings large and small will run from June 22 to 24, coinciding with what would have been Jo’s 44th birthday.

Flagship events organised in memory of the murdered Batley and Spen MP include a fun day in Heckmondwike town centre on June 23 and a Run For Jo celebration at Oakwell Hall, Birstall,on June 24.

Events are also being held on June 23 in many parts of Leeds, including Garforth, Seacroft and Chapeltown. Jo’s sister Kim Leadbeater said: “We have moved the Great Get Together to the weekend of what would have been Jo’s birthday and we are showing our resolve as a family to concentrate on her life rather than her death. “We are encouraging people across the country to come together in their communities and celebrate that which we have in common.” Events being staged during the run-up to the weekend include a memorial rugby match between Batley Bulldogs and Sheffield Eagles on June 17 and a schools walk from Batley town centre on June 21. Mrs Cox was murdered by Thomas Mair, a man associated with far-right organisations, who was found guilty of her murder in November 2016 and sentenced to life imprisonment.