Health & Fitness

03rd Dec 2020

Local woman supports Willen Hospice Christmas campaign

A Milton Keynes woman is urging the public to support Willen Hospice as they launch their 2020 Christmas appeal. Lorraine Jolly has thrown her support behind the charity’s Christmas fundraiser by sharing her story of how the Hospice cared for her husband Mark, who sadly died in June this year at the height of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. A dad of three, Mark was just 49. Lorraine, who says the care Mark and their family received from the Hospice was outstanding, is supporting the charity to help spread the word about the unique care they provide.  Mark became involved with the Hospice when he was first diagnosed with neck and kidney cancer two years ago. He received a range of services including complementary therapies for pain management, physio and care at home. This summer he spent his last days in the Hospice, with Lorraine by his side. ..

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01st Dec 2020

Local Gym Offers Free Membership

Local gym offers free memberships to help get people in MK back on track with their health and fitness. With the great news that gyms, fitness facilities and sporting activities may recommence and re open their doors on Wednesday next week, providing some much needed pre Christmas cheer, one gym, energie Fitness based in Kiln Farm, is going one step further to bring a smile to Milton Keynes residents faces……. By offering the opportunity for a FREE membership and FREE access to their club through out December. Owner Rob Francis tells us, “We, like many businesses in the leisure and sports industry, have been very badly hit by this pandemic. I don’t mind sharing that its meant that we have suffered a huge amount of lost revenue and income, whilst we are still charged rents and costs by our land lords. Through out both lock downs our gym has been almost..

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11th Nov 2020

Make a Will and support Willen Hospice this November

Local people are being encouraged to write or update their Will this month, as part of an initiative to support Willen Hospice. The charity has teamed up with twelve solicitors and Will writing professionals for Will Month. Throughout the whole of November they are offering to write Wills in return for a donation to the Hospice. For the first time, an online Will writing service is available, to give people the choice to complete it in the comfort of their own homes. Lisa Kinrade, Legacy Fundraiser at Willen Hospice, said “This is a great opportunity to take the important step of getting your affairs in order; something that people put off for a variety of personal reasons. We try to make it easier for you by offering this service. The donation you make in return will make a real difference, especially at this difficult time. “What’s more, if you’re able..

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08th Jun 2020

Cyclists to ‘zoom’ around Europe for Willen Hospice

Willen Hospice is inviting people from MK and beyond to get on their bikes and take part in their Cycle Europe Virtual Challenge - powered by energie Fitness MK. The aim of the challenge is to collectively clock up the equivalent kilometres it would take to cycle around Europe, in just three days. Starting on Friday 26 June and finishing on Sunday 28 June, cyclists taking part in the challenge will be going ‘through’ 13 countries, working together to complete 11,300km or more. Anyone can take part, from pros to families, outdoors or indoors; it’s the distance that matters! To take part, just visit the Willen Hospice website www.willen-hospice.org.uk/cycleeurope, and fill in the registration form. Participants choose their starting time, and enter the distance they hope to complete. Once registered, there will be instructions on how to connect Strava to their Fundraising Page. The kilometres recorded will be plotted on..

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15th Apr 2020

Willen Hospice launches virtual 48 hour Relay Run powered by energie Fitness MK

Willen Hospice is inviting local people to support them by staying home and staying fit, with their virtual 48 Hour Relay Run, powered by energie Fitness Milton Keynes. The brand new event will raise essential funds for the charity. The 48 hour relay run will start on Friday 17 April at 8am, and finish at the same time on Sunday 19 April. People can run in their garden, up and down the stairs, around the living room or during their one-hour daily exercise. All they have to do is choose a 20, 40, or 60-minute time slot during the 48 hours, and when their time is up they’ll pass the virtual baton on to the next runner. Organisers are asking runners to gather sponsorship to help support the Hospice during this very difficult time. It costs £9 a minute to fund Willen Hospice, so during the 48-hours of this challenge,..

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14th Apr 2020

Director of Sport at Swanbourne House Creates Egg-cellent Home Workout

Looking at creative ways to keep fit at home, Mr Paul Burton-Pye, director of sport at Swanbourne House School, has released a series of videos that use Easter Eggs as part of a home workout. The short videos are available on the school’s social media pages and aim to inspire pupils to exercise in new and different ways whilst at home. The films feature classic exercises such as press ups, squats and ab crunches, but with the added challenge of doing them with an Easter Egg! Mr Burton-Pye said “I wanted to create a work out that was fun, challenging, seasonal and engaging for our pupils to do at home over the Easter break. Easter Eggs in their box make a great prop for working out with and we hope our pupils enjoy the challenge!” Here are the links: https://youtu.be/MCgSfIW_IcA https://twitter.com/swanbournehouse/status/1248162858283794432

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05th Dec 2019

Run the Rightmove MK marathon alongside Olympic legend Kelly Holmes, with On the Move

Rightmove are looking for runners of all abilities to lace up and join record-breaking hero Kelly Holmes in at the MK Marathon Weekend, inviting them to join their community movement, On the Move.    Over the past two years, the On the Move initiative has raised over £138,000 for local and national charities, and this year the team focus their efforts in supporting bereaved children in Milton Keynes, alongside much loved MK charity Harry’s Rainbow, who offer vital support services to children who have suffered the loss of a loved one.  Among many support services offered, the charity provides families much-needed time together in their Rainbow Retreat holiday home in Chamber Sands, monthly Rainbow sessions where children who have experienced similar loss can come together. Odette Mould, founder of Harry’s Rainbow, said: “Being chosen by Rightmove is an incredible opportunity for Harry’s Rainbow. Not only to partner with a national..

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19th Sep 2019

New state-of-the-art training facility to be developed at The MK Bowl

Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP) and Milton Keynes Council (MKC)have reached an agreement with Milton Keynes Dons that will allow the Football Club to develop a new state-of-the-art training facility at the MK Bowl. MK Dons expect to make the planning application for the 49-acre site early in the new year, including plans that will see the Bowl used 365 days a year by the First Team, Academy and the Milton Keynes community. As well as 12 football pitches, the community hub will include changing, fitness and medical facilities, classrooms, administration as well as food and beverage provisions. Plans also ensure that the MK Bowl will be available as an enhanced hub for cycling and as a music venue for artists from around the world. This news comes in the National Bowl’s 40th Anniversary Year and shortly after confirmation of Milton Keynes as a European City of Sport for 2020. Charles Macdonald, Chief..

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27th Jun 2019

Dementia Community Roadshow parks up in Milton Keynes

People of Milton Keynes will have the opportunity to put their questions to the experts and find out a little more about dementia next week, as Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Community Roadshow rolls into town. The pioneering national tour will be stopping off at Willen Lake on Tuesday 25th June, as it aims to increase local awareness and understanding of the condition which affects 2190 people in Milton Keynes. It will offer free information and advice to anyone with queries about the condition, as well as helping to promote the benefits of an early diagnosis. It is also open to people currently living with dementia, who are worried about a friend or relative’s memory or who just have questions about the condition. No appointment is needed Since its launch in 2011, the Roadshow has reached more than 185,000 people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and provided valuable support and information...

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09th Jun 2019

Vote for Milton Keynes in Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood Award

Milton Keynes is in the running for Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood 2019, as the Ramblers reveals their final shortlist of the ten most walkable urban areas across England, Scotland and Wales. At a time when more than a third of people are still not meeting recommended activity levels1 and concerns about air pollution levels hit the headlines on a weekly basis, the Ramblers is calling on local authorities to help tackle these problems by creating towns and cities designed for walking. Their annual award celebrates areas where positive steps have been taken to create green, welcoming and walkable neighbourhoods that put people - rather than cars - at their heart, leading to increased activity, and the health, social and economic benefits this brings to individuals and communities, while also combatting poor air quality. The ‘new town’ of Milton Keynes, designed and developed in the 1960s, owes its place on the..

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07th May 2019

Record numbers run in the Rightmove MK Marathon Weekend 2019

Congratulations to everyone who took part! It was a record-breaking weekend for the Rightmove MK Marathon Weekend 2019, with more people than ever running, and the biggest crowds the event has ever seen! The whole weekend was a roaring success, with 10,000 runners coming from far and wide to take part in one (or more) of the five races across Sunday 5 and Monday 6 May. Andy Hully Race Director and Founder – who ran in his own event for the first time ever this year – said: “This has absolutely been the best MK Marathon Weekend in our eight-year history! The atmosphere was electric all Bank Holiday weekend. I’m euphoric and want to say a huge well done to all the runners – you did it!” The runners were joined by 700 volunteers, 150 race staff and crowds of around 20,000 who spent two days cheering, clapping and supporting..

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18th Apr 2019

THE LEGION IS BRINGING MUDDY GOOD FUN TO MILTON KEYNES IN JULY

Taking place on Saturday 13th July at Willen Lake, the Legion is calling on friends and family members to accept the muddy mission and work together to walk, jog and crawl round its two-mile course packed with muddy obstacles. Kicking off at 10.00am on the day, the Mission Mud recruits will take on mud slides and mud pits with music, food and exciting activities waiting at the finish line. Claire Rowcliffe, Director of Fundraising at The Royal British Legion, comments: “This is our second Mission Mud event in Milton Keynes and we challenge families across the region to step up to the starting line, show their support for our Armed Forces community, and help make the event a success.” “The Royal British Legion is such an important part of community here in Milton Keynes and Mission Mud is a fantastic way to bring friends and families together with the charity..

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30th Mar 2019

It’s time for the Men to Moo...

Willen Hospice has teamed up with Milton Keynes Rugby Football Club (MKRUFC) to launch the Men’s MK Midday Moo walk; a brand new event exclusively for men. It takes place on Saturday 22 June 2019 at 12 noon and follows a seven-mile route from the Hospice to the Rugby Club in Emerson Valley. The introduction of the Men’s Moo follows the success of the Hospice’s longstanding MK Midnight Moo, held for ladies each summer. The men’s event comes in response to requests from dads, husbands and boyfriends for a similar fundraiser. Sarah Sweet-Rowley, Associate Director of Community Development said: “Move over girls - the roles have been reversed and at last the men get a chance to Moo! Every year men ask if they can walk the Moo and this year we’ve made that happen by giving them an event of their own. You don’t need to be sporty to..

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10th Mar 2019

Milton Keynes man to run London Marathon for cancer charity in memory of friend

Mark Davies from Milton Keynes is taking on this year’s London Marathon to raise money for leading cancer charity, Penny Brohn UK. Mark, who has never run a competitive race further than 5k, decided to run the London Marathon for Penny Brohn UK in memory of his friend, Abby Webb, who was supported by the charity when she was diagnosed with an aggressive lung cancer. To help raise sponsorship, Mark is organising an event with Buckingham Ladies Hockey club on the 23 March when he plans to run from his old hockey club in Milton Keynes to Buckingham Ladies Clubhouse, which is roughly 19 miles. People will be able to place bets on when he will arrive through the door and Mark will be available via live feed during his run to take requests to speed up or slow down. Abby played for the hockey club and many of her..

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07th Mar 2019

Rutland Cycling Expands into Milton Keynes

Rutland Cycling, the multi-award-winning Midlands-based independent bike shop, announces the further growth of its store network with the acquisition of Giant Store Newport Pagnell, in Milton Keynes. This is Rutland’s third Giant Store, and will be followed in Summer 2019 by the opening of a new Rutland Cycling multi-brand store in the city centre, at the re-developed Lloyds Court shopping mall.  The take-over of the Giant Store Newport Pagnell follows the retirement of local business man Roy Pink.   The Giant Brand Store will be stocking the latest 2019 models from Giant and Liv, covering all disciplines.  The store is the go-to shop for all cyclists’ needs, with a dedicated E-Bike department for those looking to get on board with the recent technological revolution in cycling and featuring ARX the brand-new lightweight children’s bike.  All products can be ordered to click & collect from rutlandcycling.com. The Giant Store also features a full Cytech workshop, for..

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