A rally will be held on Wimbledon Common to support refugees and pay tribute to the work of late MP Jo Cox.

Lord Alf Dubs, who arrived in Britain from Czechoslovakia on Kinderstransport aged six and has been fighting to make the government accept more Syrian refugees into the country, will be the keynote speaker at the rally which has been organised by Merton Welcomes Refugees.

Jackie Schneider of Merton Welcomes Refugees said: “Jo worked absolutely tirelessly for refugees. She has been a real mover and shaker, and a strong supporter of Lords Dubs.

“Having read what her husband said about wanting love to defeat hatred, it just seemed the best way to do that was to dedicate this event to her. It’s such a rallying call.

“It’s easy to just say that it’s terrible, but the least we can do is dedicate this to Jo’s memory and say we will carry on. Just because she was so cruelly cut down doesn’t mean that her ideas will die. We will try to carry them on.”

Mrs Cox was a member of Parliament for Batley and Spen in Yorkshire, where she was tragically killed on Thursday, June 16.

June 16: South London MPs join tributes after Jo Cox dies in West Yorkshire shooting

In a statement released following her death, Mrs Cox’s husband Brendan said that his wife would have wanted everyone to “all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her.”

The rally will be a repeat of a similar gathering held on October 17, 1914, when hundreds of residents flocked to Wimbledon Common to offer financial support and housing for refugees fleeing Belgium after the German invasion, in a meeting called by the Wimbledon and Merton Refugee Fund.

Former councillor Peter Walker, who has helped organised the new rally, said they hope to repeat some of the success of their predecessors.  

He said: “One hundred years ago, local people gathered to offer help for refugees. Now we are doing it again.

“Jo Cox did so much for refugees. A central part of her work was highlighting the problems of refugees, particularly from Syria, and we want to do that.”

The rally on Wimbledon Common will be held by Rushmere Pond at 6.30pm on Friday, June 24.

Attendees are encouraged to bring picnics and umbrellas, and children are welcome.

For more information, contact mertonwelcomesrefugees@gmail.com