Fun in the sun at Chesterfield's '˜great get together'
One year on from the tragic murder of Yorkshire MP, Jo Cox, a countrywide series of ‘get togethers’ was organised to celebrate her legacy.
Brampton social enterprise Monkey Park staged one such event - which took place today in the park opposite its Chester Street base.
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Hide AdCo-founder, Simon Redding, said: “There has been a thing happening for a number of years called ‘the big lunch’.
“That was set up to encourage people to get together in their communities and just have a picnic.
“This year it is much, much bigger - its being called the ‘great get together’ - and is being run in memory of Jo Cox MP.
“It is focussed particularly around breaking down dividing lines in communities - bringing people together who are not normally talking to each other.”
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Hide AdSimon said people had enjoyed a wide range of activities throughout the day - including folk and chamber music, dressing up, crafts, face-painting and chocolate decoration.
For most of the day residents stretched out in the shade - reading books, eating and drinking - with only a few braving the glare of the sun for a relaxed game of football.
One, Jackki Wachlarz, 57, from Newbold, said: “It’s just nice to see the everybody in the community coming together using the park.
“And the children out playing in the fresh air and the sun.”
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Hide AdAs well as enjoying the event, the community also helped stage it, with a local ‘crochet and natter group’ producing the bunting that adorned the park’s railings.
This bunting - which contained 65 individually crocheted panels - took the three woman team of Jean Lee, Megan Cook and Kath Dickinson almost four months to create.
And also there were cosplay-enthusiasts Robert and Natasha Johnson, both 26, from Boythorpe.
The couple, dressed somewhat incongruously as Batman and the Little Mermaid, said they were trying to get a local cosplay ‘team’ set up to raise funds for Ashgate Hospice.
“I think it’s been a great success,” said Simon Redding.
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Hide Ad“We have seen all sort of different ages, types, and creeds coming together and just having a great time with their community.”
Monkey Park is a social enterprise, community hub, cafe and bike repair centre based on Chester Street in Brampton.
Fore information on how to get involved, visit www.monkeypark.org.uk.