More in Common Group staged a very successful Family Fun Day on West Park in beautiful sunshine on Saturday 21 Jun 2025.
Entertainment was there for all ages including Circus Skills, Banner-making, Just Dabbling craft table, Dancing for Wellbeing, Harrogate Spa Town Ukes, Love Pop Choir, Balloon Animal making, Conversation Cafe with lots of free food & drink
Organisers say new members are welcome to join the Group and help plan the next event.
The new community group ‘More In Common – Harrogate and Knaresborough’ established in April, 2025, celebrated its first Great Get Together ‘Family Fun Day’ on Saturday 21st June at the United Reform Church, West Park, Harrogate.
The Great Get Together is the UK’s annual celebration of everything that unites our communities, inspired by the message of Jo Cox that “we have more in common than that which divides us”.
This year’s Great Get Together in Harrogate and Knaresborough brought together local groups and families and included the following contributors: Love Pop Choir , Harrogate Spa Town Ukes, Professor Fiddlesticks, Stephanie Bubbles – Circus Skills, Katie at ‘Just Dabbling’, Anna’s Banners’, Dancing For Wellbeing’ and the Harrogate Islamic Association Calligraphy Group who all supported the day.
A very big thank you is extended to NATURAW Pet Food who sponsored the event, Cllr Arnold Warneken who supported it with a North Yorkshire Council Localities Grant, and over 20 businesses who made generous donations of food or raffle prizes! Many thanks also to Anna’s Banners for the enormous banner which was co-produced with children and adults on the day.
The Group supports the goals of the More In Common Network (part of the Jo Cox Foundation), and will be organising more ‘Great Get Together’ events and campaigns for people to join.
Jo Webb, Chair of More In Common Harrogate and Knaresborough group said:
We have been delighted with the community response to this initiative. It seems to have been the right event at the right time as the sentiments have resonated with very many people and we feel greatly encouraged by that.
Cllr Chris Aldred, Mayor of Harrogate, who attended the event said:
“It was great to attend this event as Mayor of Harrogate and I wish the new local More In Common group every success. I realise a lot of hard work went into pulling this inaugural event together and it was brilliant to see residents from all over Harrogate, Knaresborough and beyond attending and enjoying themselves singing, dancing, making things and eating and drinking together – all ages, political persuasions, colours, creeds and cultural backgrounds.
Joe Cox’s murder outside Birstall Library nine years ago was an horrific attack on our democracy, by a lone wolf political extremist. At the time, it had a huge effect on me personally, as I was born in that area of West Yorkshire and for many years previously I had walked up that street on a daily basis, on my way to work at Oakwell Hall Country Park, nearby, my first full time job after University.
Whatever our individual politics, it is vital as Jo said in her maiden speech to Parliament, we all recognise that we have “more in common than that which divides us”, and it is so important that we all come together to celebrate our shared humanity and demonstrate how we can work together to overcome differences.
I’m glad Saturday’s event in Harrogate was the great success it was and want to thank all those involved in making it happen and look forward to many more similar celebrations in the years to come.
