ILKLEY hosted one of the 121,988 Great Get Together’s happening around the country on Sunday.

The events are inspired by the late MP Jo Cox’s “More in Common” philosophy.

Organiser Becky Malby said: “We have this great lunch and party to celebrate Jo Cox’s belief that we have more in common, and to combat loneliness and isolation in our community. The Ilkley Great Get Together is a tour de force of community giving. With only £100 to help cover the event insurance (thank you Bradford Council for helping us get off the ground) the event is run wholly on local donations of time, effort, food and raffle prizes! And didn’t the local businesses and charities and people come up trumps. With a date that clashed with so many other brilliant events in the town, the Ilkley street party hosted 400 people for lunch, including 40 folk from our local older people’s residences. There were gasps of amazement for the Gym Club display, the Joze School of Dance gave us an exuberant display from Night Fever to the Can Can! We had music from local talent and Salsa Como Loco who had all ages salsa dancing by the bandstand from small kids, to the lads who joined us after the football and of course our local police, who also (almost voluntarily) formed a scratch team to take on the Joze School dancers at Tug of War. The dancers won.

“The Raffle with amazing donations from our local businesses made £1,000 for Ilkley Good Neighbours, and we also collected £197 on the bar (thank you Wharfedale and Ilkley Breweries for the beer) for Grenfell Tower families.

“I think one of the stories that captured the day was an older Ilkley resident walking in the street in the morning asked us what we were doing. We invited her to the party, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to because she would be coming on her own. At the end of the day she came and told us she had won a raffle prize and had a lovely time. That’s what we do it for. There are lots of folk in Ilkley who live on their own, not just older people, and we are really glad to help people both have a great day out and to make new friends. Well done Ilkley Good Neighbours for all the work you do in continuing the spirit all year round.

“There is a long list of thank you’s in addition to the those mentioned already - which just shows what a kind and welcoming community we have in Ilkley.

“Logistics: Ilkley Taxis - for giving our older people free rides to the event. Martinez for the weekend loan of their van so we can collect all the tables and chairs, and for donations too.

“Christchurch for being operation HQ and for being such gracious collaborators from kids games to toilets!

“The Two Rivers Band for busking for publicity, lending us the PA system (invaluable) and hosting the Bake Off.

“For tables and chairs we have to thank The Bandstand, All Saints, Ben Rydding hall, Ilkley Arts, Clarke Foley, Christchurch (we have 70 tables and 300 chairs - thanks all). For Flowers - Ilkley Flower Club (thank you Annette they were beautiful this year). The Carnival (Andrew and Mary) - for rescuing us from what looked like insurmountable road bureaucracy and being our traffic tsars and for loaning all road closure equipment.

“OTB Arthouse, FOIL and local folk for gazebos to keep the sun off the food and the older folk. Geko for the artwork and printing and Audley Clevedon for the banners around the town.

“Our main partners in planning and making sure we have enough of us to run the event - Ilkley good Neighbours and U3A.

“Food & Fun: Wharfedale Brewery for the tug of war Prize (yes as well as a keg of beer for the event!). Tesco came up trumps yet again being the prize-givers and staffing the Sheet Treasure Hunt stand, and providing food - thank you Sarita and team. Steph at Nourish for pretty much four hours of non-stop massages!

“La Casita for an amazing paella - thank you. Booths for the blackboard and sharing food. Banyan and Skipton Building Society for food for the sharing table. Moornotes for leading the Community Singing.

“The Raffle: Wow we had amazing prizes from Dalesway Picture Gallery, Audley Clevedon, The Kings Hall and Winter Gardens, Banyan, La Casita, The Yard, Bettys, Monkmans, The Crescent, Lishmans, Ramos Seafood, Tyler James, Dillons, Mortens, Fuggle and Golding, The Fitting Room, Beau Monde, Annings, Real Food Ilkley, Wheelbase, PSK, Milestone.

“And of course the Great Get Together Team - Alice, Aliki, Amanda, Annette, Helen, Lis, Liz, Louise, Jacki, Jo, Roger, Ruth, Tom as well as all our families who spent two days lifting tables and chairs!”