The Great Winter Get Together is being celebrated at CF61 once again

More in Common is a national organisation, aimed at expanding the work and ethos of the late Jo Cox MP. She strongly felt that she did not want to "live in a country where thousands of people are living lonely lives, forgotten by the rest of us."

Now, after two years of uncertainty and social isolation, new research from the Jo Cox Foundation shows the vast majority of Brits (77%) still think there is a stigma around talking about loneliness, rising to a worrying 91% among young people.

Kicking off on Blue Monday (17 January) and running until 30 January, the Great Winter Get Together is an annual campaign from More in Common, to bring people together and reduce the stigma associated with loneliness.

Here in Llantwit we are lucky enough to have the first welsh More in Common group, run entirely by volunteers, and who run a monthly Chatty Café at CF61. To mark the Great Winter Get Together 2022 they are running:

·       a Chatty Café on Saturday the 22nd of January, 10.30am to 11.30am at CF61, Station Road, Llantwit Major

·       an online Chatty Book Club on Friday the 28th of January at 7pm to 8pm. Please message ahead for the Zoom link

·       a PhotoFest on Saturday the 29th of January, at 2pm, via More in Common Llantwit Major social media

·       a PoetryFest on Sunday the 30th of January, at 2pm, also via More in Common Llantwit Major social media.

Founder of More in Common Llantwit Major, Laura Henderson explains:

“We’re delighted to be playing our part in the Great Winter Get Together to encourage people to take action in their lives. Anyone can participate in our PhotoFest or PoetryFest, by sending us their poem or photos, inspired by our themes of togetherness, loneliness or community. Just email us your poem and a maximum of three photos by Thursday 27 January, adding full name and address plus age if under 18. We’ll share these on our social media channels in the final Great Winter Get Together weekend, to help break down the stigma around loneliness - something that Jo Cox championed in her all too brief parliamentary career.

“Our Chatty Book Club also kicks off 2022 with a friendly online chat about favourite reads from 2021 and suggestions for titles for this year. And our monthly Chatty Café welcomes anyone for a natter over a cuppa at our regular venue CF61, subject to latest Coronavirus guidance.”

Jo Cox Foundation CEO Su Moore said:

“Last year, an incredible 3.5 million people across the UK took part in the Great Winter Get Together. At this difficult time of the year, we need to have the courage to talk about loneliness, even if it feels uncomfortable. Our research shows that among young people, the most helpful way to tackle loneliness is the support of friends and family so we want everyone to know there’s no shame in sharing.” 

“You might check in with a friend who’s going through a big life change, bring up the topic of loneliness in your new parents group or simply let someone you trust know when you’re feeling lonely. Why not visit the Great Get Together website today for a toolkit of practical tips available in English or Welsh, and join the conversation on social media using #NoShameInSharing. Sometimes the ‘smallest’ actions actually make the biggest difference.”

Follow More in Common Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for latest local Great Winter Get Together information, or get in touch by email MoreinCommonLlantwit@gmail.com   

If you are interested in booking CF61 for your events, please e-mail: enquiries@CF61.wales or visit www.CF61.wales