Spirit in crisis has shown we have more in common
FIVE YEARS ago today my sister stood up to make her first speech in the House of Commons. While she had no idea at the time, it turned out to be one of the most influential maiden speeches ever made.
When Jo was murdered a little over a year later, the speech went viral. Millions of people across the country realised that Jo was speaking for them when she said that “we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us”.
Jo was talking about the community in Batley and Spen where we grew up. But her words had a resonance for the whole country, just as they were intended to do.
Community meant everything to Jo. And it was the ‘unity’ in community that mattered most. The coronavirus pandemic has shown that community makes us – and we make communities.
It’s easy to pay lip-service to the power of community, and the togetherness it represents, but in the past few weeks (and, yes, it feels likes months!) we have all seen that power in action all around us.
Here in Jo’s constituency there is huge diversity in terms of religion, ethnicity, age, wealth and other factors, but we have all felt the impact of the global pandemic in one way or another – whoever we are.
Many will have lost loved ones, know people who have been seriously ill or are struggling with mental health issues.
Many are juggling a new work/life balance with children to look after, working from home and dealing with lockdown fatigue. Yet, in the middle of all this, people have been showing the ‘unity’ in community in all sorts of new and creative ways.
The Kirklees Befriending Partnership has seen a huge surge in demand and has responded valiantly with trained staff, working alongside compassionate volunteers, to support those feeling the effects of shielding and self-isolation. This is through regular phone calls and socially distanced visits.
Local churches and mosques have worked in partnership with food banks and a wide variety of community groups to deliver cooked meals, food parcels and medication to dozens of households.
The council has played its part, backing local ‘hubs’ to support the mutual aid groups who swiftly answered the practical requirements of those in need. On-line poetry, Iftars during Ramadan, gardening, baking, exercise sessions and religious services have all helped those with internet access to stay connected. It is truly inspirational to see, and I know it is replicated all across Yorkshire.
Jo and I were brought up to have a very ‘glass half-full’ mindset and to always try and focus on what you can do in any given situation, not what you can’t. So for this year’s Great Get Together there will still be lots of exciting ‘events’ taking place, despite the challenging circumstances.
We’ll be having a ‘virtual’ school assembly, an inter-faith community service, a bake off and an online ‘More in Common’ quiz; we have even replaced ‘Cakes on the Cobbles’ with ‘Cakes on the Couch’!
The annual ‘Run For Jo’ will also still go ahead, although this year the runners and walkers will be taking part in their own community so they can follow the safety guidelines, and then sharing their pictures with us to receive their virtual certificate.
So, as I remember my sister, the once shy girl, overcoming her nerves to speak up in Parliament, I do so with pride, and of course deep sadness, but also with hope for the future.
Despite what I have been through,
I still work hard to remain optimistic. Yes, we have seen some poor behaviour during the pandemic (and it would be wrong to pretend otherwise), but we have also seen the very best of humanity.
I would give anything for Jo to be here to see how brilliantly people have come together to support each other, because she would see just how right she was to say we have ‘more in common’.
But Jo wouldn’t be sitting back feeling pleased that so many more people now understand the meaning of her words. She’d be asking what we can do next. How can we bottle all that community spirit so it will continue as we go forward?
I will never ‘get over’ my sister’s murder; it doesn’t work like that. I know it will be devastating for so many people who have lost family and friends as a result of Covid-19. Their loss leaves a hole in the lives of those who loved them. It can never be filled, only worked around.
The past few weeks have been tough, very tough, but I do believe that while physically distant we have become closer in many other ways.
Let’s not allow all of that to go to waste. Let’s move forward with strength, compassion and togetherness, and always with ‘more in common’.
■ The Great Get Together will take place across the country from June 19-21. www. greatgettogether.org