In October 2020 I had the honour of interviewing Kim Leadbeater, ambassador to the Jo Cox Foundation, to seek some advice and inspiration on how to overcome isolation in this season. Jo Cox was MP for Batley and Spen until her tragic murder in 2016 and her sister, Kim Leadbeater vowed to continue her legacy by serving isolated communities around our nation, bringing people together, overcoming differences and unlocking a wave of compassion.
They follow the conviction that 'We have more in common than that which divides us' which is a quote from Jo's first speech in Westminster and their 'Great Get Together' has been an amazing success, bringing people together in cities right across the country.
Kim implored
us to keep going in the spirit of reaching out to our neighbours, encouraged us to seek help ourselves when we need it, and championed those who have rolled their sleeves up and sought to build new friendships in their communities, from faith groups, to school groups, to neighbourhood gatherings, all looking out for one another in lockdown.
We were joined by friends in Bristol, Coventry, Sweden and Dubai and with magnificent music from Danny Vincent and Dijwar Khalil along with delicious food from Lona restaurant, it was a joyful and inspiring evening.
With thanks to Great Get Together Facebook community grants for enabling this event.