Local News

Recruitment is now underway at the new H&M logistics hub in Milton Keynes. The site, which is bringing 800 new jobs to the region, is currently looking for Logistics Associates that will play a crucial role at this centre.  Once operational, the 73,000 square metre Milton Keynes distribution centre will become the retailer’s first logistics hub to serve both its stores and online business, with a high degree of process supporting technology. As a Logistics Associate, new colleagues will have the opportunity make a direct contribution to the customer experience in store and online, using technology to make sure that customers have access to the right products, at the right time.  Rachel Wells, Logistics Manager for H&M UK said: “H&M is a value-driven business, so its really important to us that we find fantastic people that will embody the H&M spirit. We believe in our people, and we hope to..

A school in Milton Keynes has launched an innovative new service to help schools, and people who want to work in education, make their recruitment experience the best it can possibly be. RISE, operated by education specialists at St. Paul’s Catholic School, actively recruits, trains and supports potential candidates and offers tailored introductions to schools. Candidates, seeking employment as teaching or support staff, can register with RISE’s online Talent Pool and are contacted as soon as an appropriate vacancy becomes available. They can also benefit from expert advice on low cost, accessible training opportunities and guidance on how to become an even more attractive candidate for future employers. For schools RISE offers an upfront, competitive introduction fee, with an assurance that every school using the service will be introduced to the most suitable candidate for their pupils and that an on-going training programme is available to candidates if required. Another..

Local runners who represented Willen Hospice in the Virgin London Marathon have raised more than £51k for the local charity. This week, some of the Team Willen members met at the Hospice to celebrate their success and find out how much they had collectively raised. Dawn Clark, Challenges Fundraiser at Willen Hospice said “Our London Marathon runners this year were a real team, supporting each other through their running journey, offering each other support at their various fundraising events. We are delighted to share with them the grand total raised, and know this will inspire others to take up this unique and prestigious challenge. Please contact us if this has inspired you!” The team was made up of 12 Gold Bond runners plus four runners with ballot places. They all raised fantastic amounts with some individual achievements of over £10 000. The London Marathon is one of the events that..

MK Playday is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the MK Community Foundation. These funds will support the event held in Campbell Park. MK Playday will be held on Wednesday 7th August 2019 in Campbell Park 11am-4pm. MK Playday provides fun, free accessible activities for all children, young people and their families across Milton Keynes as part of the nationally recognised Playday which celebrates children’s right to play and highlights the importance of play in children’s lives. There will be a wide variety of activities to choose from and a special tournament with local mascots. Julie Dawes, the Interim Chair of MK Playday Partnership said, ‘We are very pleased to have secured support from MK Community Foundation, these funds help ensure the partnership can provide an enjoyable free day for families and communities of Milton Keynes. We value the support MK Community Foundation has given us and..

Willen Hospice is inviting cycling enthusiasts to take part in their popular Sportive, Ride for Willen, on Sunday 1 September. Last September, the Sportive saw over 250 participants take to their bikes for the event, raising almost £15,000 for the charity. This year organisers are excited to announce that there are four routes to choose from; 40 miles, 65 miles, and the new 85 miler, and Family 5 mile route for adults with children aged 7-14 years. Each route starts from Cranfield University, passing through the beautiful areas surrounding Milton Keynes, including the Woburn Abbey Estate and Aylesbury Vale. Tracey Jago, Senior Events Fundraiser at Willen Hospice, said: “Ride for Willen offers something for all, whether they’re a novice rider, experienced cyclist, or a young family. We’ve planned some fantastic routes, marshalled by MK Grand Union Rotary Club, which include varied landscapes to both challenge riders and offer them attractive..

Hong Kong Philanthropist Dr Hon Dak Chung, has donated £5m to the University to help build a new Law School. The gift will provide a new home for Law students from 2022. The gift was announced by Chair of Council, Rory Tapner, at a reception hosted by John Simon Bercow MP, Speaker and Parliamentary MP for Buckingham, on Tuesday 4 June. The gift is part of the campaign for a Law School for the 21st Century and is one of the main pillars of the University's ‘50 for 50’ campaign, aiming to raise £50m before the 50th anniversary of The University of Buckingham in May 2026. The donation also aims to build and strengthen the links between Britain and China. The University’s Law School is one of the University’s founding schools, with graduates around the world including The Puisne Judges in Bermuda, Charles Etta Simmons (LLB 1983), Nicole Stoneham (LLB..

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..

Buckingham based beauty salon, Harmony Skin and Beauty Therapy will open its doors to the public to celebrate its 15th anniversary and raise money for the Brain Tumour Research charity in memory of a long-standing client who sadly passed away in March. Taking place on Saturday 18th May, between 11am – 4pm guests can receive free express treatments and a complimentary Dermalogica® face mapping – a skin analysis technique that allows specialists to prescribe a targeted skincare regime for an individual’s unique needs. Plus, anyone attending will be able to take part in competitions to win products or treatments and sip on some tasty bubbles. Salon owner and skin specialist Shweta Kapur comments: “We are over the moon to be celebrating our 15th anniversary! Our clients mean everything to us, so we are pleased to be able to combine our birthday event with fundraising for such a deserving cause, in..

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..

MK Playday have been successfully shortlisted in applying for the Tesco Bags of Help Grant Scheme. The MK Playday project will be put forward to a customer vote in Tesco stores during May and June 2019. Tesco teamed up with Groundwork to launch its community funding scheme, which sees grants of £4,000, £2,000 and £1,000 awarded to local community projects. Three groups in every Tesco region have been shortlisted to receive the cash award and shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant. MK Playday is one of the shortlisted groups looking to secure a funding boost from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative. MK Playday provides free, fun, accessible activities for all children, young people and their families from across Milton Keynes in Campbell Park on Wednesday 7 August 2019. Voting is open in all..

Willen Hospice has again joined forces with Specsavers Milton Keynes for this year’s MK Midnight Moo, which takes place on Saturday 13 July. With less than three months to go, organisers are appealing to local ladies to sign up and join them to walk the 10 mile Moo, or shorter Half Moo route, on what it the charity’s biggest night of the year. Specsavers have again sponsored this year’s bespoke Moo vests, which will be worn by approximately 1,000 women during their walk. The neon-green vests go perfectly with this year’s disco theme. Ladies are encouraged to join in the party vibe and accessorise their outfits to bring even more fun to the midnight walk. Think big hairdos, flares, legwarmers and disco glamour. This week Steve Moore, Director of Specsavers Milton Keynes said: “It is great to link up once again with Willen Hospice for our third year supporting the..

Following the launch of London’s Ultra Low Emissions zone, in the Capital’s bid to clean up toxic air, we look at the success of Milton Keynes’ electric vehicle take up and infrastructure – which has seen the BBC name the City as having the highest number of EV charge points in the country.* Following the launch of a five-year programme in 2017, which set out Milton Keynes’ bid to become a Go Ultra Low City, Milton Keynes now boasts over 300 charge points, including 50 rapid charge points, and, according to the EV Experience Centre (EVEC), recorded 100% uptake on new electric vehicles sold in the Milton Keynes area, when compared to the national average in 2018. With some of the most established EV charging infrastructure, per capita, across the whole of Europe, installing the electric vehicle charge points within cultural venues throughout Milton Keynes, was a key objective for..

MK Dons announced their latest Club partnership today, as they continue to build the relationship with Milton Keynes based STORM Office Solutions. The partnership will be focused on streamlining, optimising and reducing the costs of the MK Dons office and IT operations, so the club can redirect important spend and funds on to other areas to help with its growth. Sam Bendall, Managing Director of STORM says, “We feel excited to be partnering and supporting MK Dons. Both STORM and MK Dons have a lot of similarities; we're both professional organisations, striving for excellence in our respective fields, we're both building a critical mass of supporters & customers and are, of course, local to each other. Our dream would be to look back in 30 years time and feel proud of the impact the MK Dons & STORM partnership has had to each other and to Milton Keynes as a..

Local people are being invited to take advantage of a Will writing service this May as the Willen Hospice Will Month returns. Ten legal firms have teamed up to support the charity by writing Wills in return for a donation to the Hospice. The service is available for anyone who would like to create a new Will or change an existing one. Lisa Kinrade, Project and Partnership Development at Willen Hospice, said: “It’s never too early to write a Will and it is often on the ‘to-do’ list. If it’s something you still need to arrange, Will Month provides an ideal opportunity. Your donation, no matter how big or small, will help us deliver our promise to always be there to care. “We’d like to thank all the solicitors taking part for their incredible generosity in supporting Willen Hospice during Will Month.” Kathryn Thornewill from Franklins solicitors added: “Some people..

Campbell Wharf Marina, at Crest Nicholson’s Campbell Wharf development, has been acquired by The Parks Trust who will manage future operations at the Marina. The new 111 berth Marina will provide a destination for boaters and canal users in Milton Keynes, with direct access to the Grand Union Canal and additional services to be provided nearby as part of the wider Campbell Wharf development. The Marina will open next week, on 6th May 2019, and boat owners can reserve their berths now via the Campbell Wharf Marina website - already around 40 berths have been reserved. The Parks Trust was created in 1992 to care for parkland and green space in Milton Keynes. This independent charity is responsible for over 6,000 acres of river valleys, woodlands, lakesides, parks and landscaped areas in Milton Keynes. The wider Campbell Wharf development is being progressed by Crest Nicholson with Milton Keynes Development Partnership..