The University of Reading is hosting its third annual Big Band Big Lunch on the historic London Road campus on Sunday 4 June, in order to bring together the local community.

As well as being a part of the national Big Lunch scheme, the event will also this year be part of the Great Get Together initiative, which was started in memory of Jo Cox MP, who was killed in her constituency on 16 June 2016.

The Cox family will be attending the event on 4 June, where a tribute to Jo Cox will take place.

Her husband Brendan Cox, who has set up the Great Get Together initiative in order to bring communities together, grew up in Reading and his parents still live locally. Gordon Cox, father to Brendan, is a former lecturer at the University of Reading.

The event is an opportunity for members of the local community to join members of the University over lunch, to listen to music from the University Big Band and to take part in a range of family-friendly activities, which, this year, are based around the theme of Community and Creativity.

The event also will include performances from Kalakunj, a local dance group inspired by traditional South Asian performance, as well as activities by ArtLab and other collaborators across the University.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, Sir David Bell, said: “The Big Band Big Lunch has become an important event in the University calendar. It is a chance for the University to open its doors to members of the local community and bring together staff, students and residents.

“This year we are joining up with the first ever Great Get Together, an initiative designed to unite members of the local community. Given the events of recent weeks and months, and of course the tragic killing of Jo Cox MP last year, now more than ever we need to unite as a community to show our strength and resilience.

“As a University, we are committed to celebrating diversity and equality. As Jo Cox said in her first speech to Parliament, 'We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us.'

“We are honoured to have Jo Cox’s family with us at the event and hope that many members of the community join us to help commemorate her life and the values that she stood for.”

Food and drink will be available to purchase, or people are free to bring along a picnic and enjoy the festivities. The event begins at 12pm and entrance is free. No booking is required.