FIVE walks come together as part of the Great Manchester Walking Festival on Bank Holdiay Monday (May 27).

Part of the We Stand Together and the Great Get Together campaign inspired by the late MP Jo Cox, the walks - for which the routes form a giant star shape - meet at Manchester Art Gallery in Mosley Street, Manchester between 2pm and 4pm on the day where walkers will be treated to free refreshments.

To participate in the walks, free tickets can be booked via Eventbrite.

In Oldham, the meeting point for the walk is Failsworth Metrolink Stop, Failsworth, M35-09Y, at 11am.

Others are: Manchester meeting point - Crumpsall Metrolink, Station Road, Crumpsall, M8-5ED, at 11am.

Trafford meeting point - Sale Water Park Metrolink, Sale M33 2LX, at 11am.

Salford meeting point: The Lowry Theatre, at 12noon.

Stockport meeting point: Heaton Moor Park, 9 Park Road Stockport, SK4-4PY, 10.30am start time.

Greater Manchester moving walking programme lead Louise Robbins said: “The idea of the Great Walk Together is to celebrate the success of the walking festival and bring residents from across Greater Manchester into the city centre for refreshments at the Manchester Art Gallery.

"The main aim is to encourage people to get together using walking and share what we all have in common, a love of Greater Manchester and the delights that are on our doorstep. All the walks are along pleasant off-road routes through green spaces or by water and differ in length from one mile to seven miles. So, participants can do as little or as much walking as they like, and know there is a coffee, cake and a chat at the end.”

Each event will have a walk leader who will be on hand to give commentary on the route and points of interest. Participants will need to make their own way back home from Manchester City Centre.

Kim Leadbeater, from The Jo Cox Foundation, which runs the Great Get Together campaign, said: “‘The Greater Manchester walking festival gives us a chance to demonstrate how simply walking in and around our communities gives us the opportunity to get to know new people or chat with friends.

"We believe there is a groundswell of people who reject divisive politics and simply want to bring our communities together and celebrate all that unites us.”

Jonny Wineberg, director of operations for #WeStandTogether, commented: “Greater Manchester is a dynamic city region with diverse and resilient communities. These walks will help showcase how different parts of Greater Manchester celebrate their diversity and reject hate, offering the chance for people to come together through walking, making new friends whilst enjoying our wonderful environment.”

This year, the third Great Get Together weekend will take place on June 21 to 23, which would have been Jo’s 45th birthday.

The Greater Manchester Walking Festival is delivered by GM Moving, in partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) with support from local walking groups and charities.

The festival runs until May 31 and full details of all the Great Walk Together walks can be found at www.gmwalking.co.uk Copies of the Festival brochure, which details all 400 walks, are available in TfGM Travelshops and other outlets across Greater Manchester, including libraries and community centres.