COMMUNITY groups and residents celebrated togetherness in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox.

‘The Great Get Together’ was inspired by the MP for Batley and Spen, who was killed on June 16 last year.

It took place at Bolton Central Library on Saturday, and featured singing, dancing, poetry recitals and speeches.

Chan Parmar, from Bolton Interfaith Council and who organised the event, said: “It has been wonderful.

“I’m really delighted everybody came together and supported so well such a diverse event, with so many people and groups.

“It is a really important event to remember the shared values which Jo Cox stood for.”

Mr Parmar himself came to Bolton from Nairobi, Kenya, nearly 50 years ago, and said how important it was to support people and groups who might not otherwise easily integrate into the community.

Performances were in the library’s lecture theatre, before tea and cakes were served in the main hall.

There was a ‘Community Drama’ by children from Building Bridges group, singing from choirs and a poem – '22 Reasons to Hope not Hate', read by Sharon Wilkie Jones on behalf of students from Bolton College.

Bolton North East MP Sir David Crausby attended, and said the event encapsulated everything his late Labour colleague stood for.

“Today was all about the values of Jo Cox and the idea of belonging.

“Events like Jo’s death and recent terror attacks bring us together, but it shouldn’t just be awful events which do that, we should look after each other all the time.

“But Bolton is famous for its diversity and for how well we have embraced that diversity, in no small part thanks to people like Chan and groups like the Interfaith Council.”

Ian McHugh, from the City of Sanctuary, a national movement aiming to build a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for refugees, said it is important to share together “regardless of where people originally come from”.

And Sandy Wilkie, a City of Sanctuary committee member read a poem called ‘Acceptance’.

Mr Wilkie said afterwards that Brendan Cox, Mrs Cox’s husband, has shown incredible strength and urged Bolton not to accept words and actions which drive communities apart.