Local News

Shoppers in centre:mk were surprised by a ‘shanty flashmob’ in support of Willen Hospice on Saturday (29 Feb). Around 35 male singers descended on Middleton Hall with a chorus of shanties and acapella songs. Singers were joined by a ukulele band, guitarists and even a Bouzouki! Bands and performers were all local, including Rollin’ Home, MKlele, MK Acapella and Sloop Groggy Dogs! The flashmob was coordinated by Hospice supporter Bob Stott. He said: “These guys have come together from several different groups to perform and raise much needed funds for Willen Hospice. Thanks to each and every one of them who gave up their time and put on a fantastic show, and to the passing shoppers who listened and donated in the Willen buckets. Thank you also to New City Photographic Society for joining us.” Willen Hospice needs to raise £4.7M a year, that’s £9 a minute, to continue to..

Brides looking for their dream dress are being invited to visit a brand new shop in Leighton Buzzard, as Willen Hospice launches its first bridal boutique. The treasure trove of unique gowns is located above the charity’s main shop on the High Street. It is stocked with a huge range of new and pre-loved dresses, not only for brides, but for bridesmaids and mother of the bride; as well as prom and party dresses. Tina Dye, Shop Manager said: “Our boutique gives ladies planning their wedding a choice of exquisite wedding gowns at a reasonable price, helping them to make special memories on the day. Bride-to-be, Lia Christodoulou from MKFM visited the shop and said: “Looking for your wedding dress is such a special occasion. Thanks to the help of Tina and the team, a gorgeous variety of dresses and incredible prices going towards a fantastic local charity, my experience..

Over 100 people from Milton Keynes came together at The Zip Yard, intu Milton Keynes to make pouches to send to Australia. Crowds gathered at the shopping destination from 4pm - the youngest helper just seven years old and the eldest, 90 - all wanting to give something to help the animals that have lost their habitat to bushfire. Collectively, they cut, stitched and fashioned over 1,000 pouches in total, which will now be sent to Australia to give young animals such as Joeys, Possums and Koala’s support in growth. It is estimated that one billion animals have already lost their lives. After seeing the reports on TV, staff at The Zip Yard launched an appeal that went viral and reached close to a million people across the world. “The response has been phenomenal, we’ve had messages of support from all around the world,” said Russell Golding, owner of The..

intu Milton Keynes was chosen as the set for a new year shopping shoot by daytime ITV show Lorraine on Monday 6 January and a live show on Tuesday 7. Well-known and loved TV stylist and personality Mark Heyes was on location in the centre looking at the amazing January sales bargains, with many stores offering up to 70% off! He also set a shopper challenge for two local ladies to find a bargain outfit, kitting themselves out from top to toe. The stores that came up trumps were Debenhams, Zara and New Look, with the shoppers finding bargains galore including boots, dresses, jackets and more! Shelley Peppard, centre director at intu Milton Keynes, said: “As one of the most popular shopping destinations in the country, we were very proud to be featured on one of the UK’s biggest daytime TV shows this week. Who doesn’t love Lorraine Kelly and..

Scuff N Scratch Solutions is asking customers to help them provide gifts for the Children’s Ward at Milton Keynes University Hospital this Christmas. The local car bodyshop is encouraging members of the public to make donations - which will be matched by Scuff N Scratch Solutions to provide toys for the children who will spend this Christmas in hospital. Donations will be collected until 19th December and can be made at the bodyshop in Denbigh Hall, or online via the just giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/scuff-n-scratch-childrens-ward Before Christmas, Scuff N Scratch Solutions will deliver the toys to Milton Keynes Hospital Charity, who will be accepting the donations on behalf of the children’s ward. The fundraising for Milton Keynes University Hospital helps to improve the patient experience and ensures that staying at the hospital is made as comfortable and positive as possible. Rob Clark, owner of Scuff N Scratch Solutions comments: “No child..

Willen Hospice would like to thank 17 intrepid trekkers for raising a phenomenal £44,000 for the charity, by taking on their Borneo Jungle Adventure. Back in October, the group departed from the cold, autumnal weather of Milton Keynes, to the humid heat of Malaysia, ready for a four-day trek through the thick Borneo jungle. This week, the Trekkers were invited to a Thank You evening at the Hospice to celebrate their fantastic achievement, and to find out how much they had collectively raised. They also heard from Willen Hospice Chief Executive, Peta Wilkinson, on how the money will help the Hospice to continue providing compassionate care and support for local families, when and where they need it most. Louise Egerton, Borneo Trekker, said: “This challenge really was an awe-inspiring experience, with memories I’ll treasure forever. It was extremely tough at times, but I just kept reminding myself, and the group,..

A brand new development of homes have been completed for buyers in Milton Keynes, giving local people the chance to live in a new neighbourhood comprising green space and a wealth of community amenities. A range of apartments and town houses are now available for immediate occupation, offering a wide variety of living options. Prices start from £249,950 and Help to Buy available on all properties – a dedicated Help to Buy event being held on Saturday 9th November to inform customers of their buying options and show them around. Places for People are the developers creating the new community; the company’s sales manager Francesca Tizzard, based at the development, says: “We are thrilled to complete these homes, including two show homes which are now open for people to come and view; we look forward to showing people around at our November event. “That event is a chance for people..

Following the publication of the national exam results, Ousedale School is once again the top school in Milton Keynes at GCSE for both progress and attainment:  with a progress score of 0.27 and attainment 53.6. This puts them once more in the top 30% of schools in the whole country. Fantastic results were achieved in the core subjects of English, Maths, Humanities and Science. English results were very impressive with over 90% of children achieving grade 4 and 78% gaining 5 and above, again these were the top results in Milton Keynes. “We are absolutely delighted with these results and they are very much testament to the considerable hard work and dedication given by students and staff.” Mrs Sue Carbert (Headteacher) Ousedale School have an absolute belief that all children can succeed.  The vision is shared by all staff and increasingly communicated throughout the school by students.  It is: “Ousedale School..

Destination Milton Keynes (DMK), the official tourism and information service for the city, has announced the appointment of Ian Stuart as its new Chief Executive. As a long-term resident of Milton Keynes, Ian is a huge advocate of the city having held a number of key roles within the business and leisure community including Managing Director of Milton Keynes Herald newspaper, General Manager at Willen Lake; and for the past 17 years the position of Managing Director at Heart FM, Milton Keynes. John Cove, Chair of Destination Milton Keynes said, “We are delighted that Ian is joining us to lead the organisation through the next stage of its development. The visitor economy sector is a critical part of Milton Keynes and Ian will be key to ensuring that we make Milton Keynes a destination of choice.” Ian Stuart, commented, “I’m keen to revitalise the role of DMK and ensure the..

It has been a superb summer cycling season for Bedford Girls’ School (BGS) Upper Sixth student Sophie Lewis, who recently produced magnificent results on the track. Representing the Great Britain Cycling Team, Sophie bagged gold and silver medals at the U23 and Junior European Track Championships (9th-14th July) in Ghent, Belgium and silver and bronze medals at the UCI Track Junior World Championships (14th-18th August) in Frankfurt, Germany. This was an incredible achievement as she competed against the very best riders across the globe in the team pursuit and multiple different bunch races. Sophie, who also represents Cycle Team OnForm said: “At the start of the summer I competed in the European Track Championships in Ghent, Belgium. This was a very tiring but successful week at my first major championships representing Team GB. I was delighted to kick-start the week with a silver medal in the team pursuit. On the..

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..

Ride High, a local children’s charity that uses horses to transform the lives of disadvantaged children, will showcase its members’ artwork alongside that of the English painter George Stubbs at a world-class exhibition at MK Gallery this autumn. Stubbs (1724-1806) is one of the UK’s greatest artists. Best known for his paintings of horses, he was the first artist to eloquently depict the close relationship between horses and people. Ride High members are recreating some of Stubbs’ most iconic work for display in their very own exhibition ‘Ride High Take on Stubbs’ in the MK Gallery Project Space from 9th October, sponsored by RB Equestrian, Shoosmiths and WSA The Communications Agency. The collaboration between Milton Keynes’ recently opened Gallery and the city’s unique charity will see the children create their own interpretations of Stubbs’ work, including his greatest masterpiece, Whistlejacket (on loan from the National Gallery) through various mediums including..

Make Believe, the UK’s leading children’s international performing arts school, is taking its talent-finding platform One Dream to Milton Keynes, in partnership with intu Milton Keynes. On 12 October, hundreds of children will gather at the shopping centre to showcase their talents in hopes of winning a £1,000 cash prize and the opportunity to join the MB Talent platform. Singing and dancing auditions will be judged across junior (6-11 years old) and senior categories (12+) to whittle the hopefuls down to 30-40 finalists. The finalists will then compete for the crown and £500 each on Sunday 17th November at the Stratford Circus Theatre. Make Believe founder and managing director Joel Kern will judge the competition alongside industry experts and leading talent agent Eilidh McCole. Previous winners of this initiative have gone on to become stars, with 2018 finalist Klaudia Gjergji starring in West End production On Your Feet this year,..

Last week, staff working at Willen Lake in Milton Keynes made an extraordinary discovery – what they believe to be an ‘ancient’ sword. Cassius Whiley-Morton from Aqua Parcs felt a solid object hit his foot when clearing the park on Friday 23 August at approximately 8.20am. Cassius said: “I looked down and could see something reflecting the light from the surface so I reached down and felt something solid and heavy.” Cassius held onto the side of the inflatable park and with one motion, drew the object from the bed of the lake. To the shock of the staff, they saw it was an ‘ancient’ sword, almost perfectly preserved. He added “I couldn’t believe it; I’ve worked on the lake all summer and have never come across anything like this. It was clearly visible from the surface so the undercurrent must have dislodged it from somewhere beneath. My colleagues said..

Milton Keynes' popular outdoor space around Willen Lake now has a lot less rubbish thanks to Whitespace Yoga & Wellbeing Studio, who partnered with Conscious Living MK for a community litter pick on Sunday. An army of volunteers joined Whitespace Studio for an hour and a half walk around the beautiful green space, where they gathered 20 bags of rubbish and recycling which otherwise may have ended up in our waterways. Deborah Berryman, Yoga Teacher and founder of Whitespace Studio comments: "We were thrilled to partner with Conscious Living and help to clean up Willen Lake. It's more important than ever before that we continue the fight against litter and plastic pollution, so thank you to everyone who joined us to take action on improving our local environment.” Codie-Leigh, Conscious Living MK organiser also comments: “Coming together in this way gives us so much hope for the future of our..