Local News

Rugby fans in Milton Keynes, this is your chance to witness history! On 19 February visitors to Midsummer Place shopping centre will have the unique opportunity to view and take photos with the prestigious Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy. Location: Midsummer Place Shopping Centre, Milton Keynes Date: 19/02/2025 Timings: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM This once-in-a-lifetime event will bring the exact trophy that the world’s best women’s rugby teams have competed for in previous editions of the tournament, which England last won in 2014. This year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup takes place in England from 22nd August to 27th September 2025 – with Franklin’s Gardens (the home of Northampton Saints), hosting six thrilling matches, including four exciting double headers. What to Expect: Photo Opportunities: Capture your moment with the Women’s Rugby World Cup trophy. Interactive Activities: Test your luck with a claw grabber arcade game for a chance to win..

Two small, knitted hearts gave Charlie Gow unexpected comfort when her partner Jason Cook spent the end of his life at Willen Hospice just before Christmas 2024. Jason was diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most common type of cancerous brain tumour in adults, in April 2024. The first six months turned the couple’s life upside down, with Jason constantly in and out of hospital. As the end drew nearer, he was admitted to the expert, compassionate care of Willen Hospice’s In-Patient Unit. Charlie was with her “gentle giant, Jay” every day and often stayed overnight at the Hospice. One day, she was given a gift. “One of the staff, Hannah, gave me two knitted hearts,” says Charlie. “They were small, soft and grey. Hannah explained that together with her mum, Jo, and the other nurses, they were knitting hearts in their spare time for patients and their families. “It was such..

This February half-term, Woburn Safari Park is the place for an unforgettable wildlife adventure! With exciting new enclosures, adorable new arrivals, and brilliant special guests, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. The New Reptile Ranch Deep in the heart of the Foot Safari, keepers have announced the grand opening of Reptile Ranch, a brand-new, immersive experience that brings you closer to some of the most fascinating reptilian species. From the Utila spiny-tailed iguana to the tiny but mighty Egyptian tortoises. Visitors can learn more about these incredible creatures at keeper talks and demonstrations throughout the day - it’s an experience not to be missed. Farmyard Friends is expanding! Just a short walk away, the Farmyard Friends area is filled with excitement as two charming new residents, Wilbur and Winnie, settle into their new home. These Middle White pigs arrived back in October and are already growing fast, delighting visitors with..

A group of spirited individuals have become ambassadors of a local charity, Camphill MK. Committed to celebrating and supporting adults with learning disabilities and the charity, they have pledged to support Camphill MK. The fourteen locals will promote the charity, attend networking events, raise funds and make introductions to others who may want to support Camphill MK's work. Camphill Milton Keynes has been in the news a lot in the past 18 months as it took on the responsibility of creating new accessible homes for adults with disabilities. They have already raised £3.3m to start their home-building journey but have a way to go in securing a further £12m to complete the accessible homes project. The Camphill MK Ambassadors will help achieve this target through their profile-raising work. They already have a unique relationship with the charity and include: Carly Higgs, who works for MKFM, first got to know Camphill..

Willen Hospice is appealing to the Milton Keynes community to step up to its 20.25 Challenge and help make sure essential care at home can continue during 2025. Through the 20.25 Challenge, the Hospice is asking the people of Milton Keynes if they can donate just £20.25 each. This would pay for a Willen at Home nurse to be on shift for an hour – ready to support a local person with a life-limiting illness. Willen at Home currently receives no NHS funding yet is the only service of its kind in the city, providing free, specialist palliative care and support to thousands of patients and their loved ones in their own homes. In neighbouring counties, similar services are entirely paid for by the NHS. This new Challenge builds on many months of campaigning by the Hospice to help fund Willen at Home. Last autumn more than 8,000 local people..

More than 12,500 plants have arrived in Milton Keynes, ready to be planted in the city’s parks. Last week, The Parks Trust received this year’s mammoth delivery - which arrived in 12 separate loads – made up of over 100 different species ranging from small Lonicera Pileata (Honeysuckle) to young giant redwoods. These new trees and shrubs will help develop Milton Keynes' landscape as part of the charity's long-term green space management, including trees that have been removed as part of tree thinning works. The stock of new plants is temporarily stored in 10 trenches, measuring 50 metres in length! Look out for the team in the coming weeks and months, who will be busy planting in areas throughout the city including the Poplar Plantation between Willen Lake and the Ouzel Valley. Direct Works Manager at The Parks Trust, Justin Hobday, says “this is my first delivery season since joining..

Half term will soon be upon us – a chance for children to down their pens and pencils and set about having some serious fun, and they will find no better place to do so than at Milton Keynes Museum. Activities celebrating the recently opened Ancient Gallery will run all week, with a 'Through The Ages' theme giving youngsters the opportunity to get hands-on with dinosaur bones and stone tools, and real and replica pottery from different time periods. Check in with the Museum re-enactor who will give chainmail and leather working demonstrations, and forget computer games – instead take part in some medieval games! Turn detective and have a go at the history detectives trail running throughout the Museum, and on Tuesday and Wednesday enjoy pottery demos and the chance to create your own. Then, when hunger bites, roar-some Dino themed cookies will be waiting to be decorated. Half term week at the Museum boasts something for everyone, with all the usual..

Taco Bell franchisee Soul Foods has announced the opening of its restaurant at Xscape Milton Keynes. The new leisure centre restaurant, which is now open, will be operating daily from 11am – 10pm. Taco Bell Milton Keynes serves fan-favorites like the Crunchwrap Supreme, Crunchy Taco Supreme, and Volcano Burrito alongside vegetarian options, all with the fast, friendly service Taco Bell fans have come to know and love. To mark its opening, Taco Bell, which proudly serves Halal-certified food, has introduced the brand-new Chicken Nachos – made with 100% chicken breast, perfectly coated in a crispy, flavourful spice blend. Served with hot nacho cheese sauce, these irresistible bites are set to become a fan favourite. With the February half-term break just around the corner, the restaurant is also spotlighting its Craving Value Menu, offering 10 mouthwatering items for just 99p each. From the Crispy Chicken Soft Taco to the Mini Quesadilla and Seasoned..

Staff and patients at CHEC Milton Keynes were celebrating this week after the community-based healthcare provider marked its one year anniversary. Marie Bradburn, Mayor of Milton Keynes, also joined in on the anniversary celebrations, gaining a first-hand insight into the benefits of community healthcare, including improved patient choice, increased accessibility and shorter waiting times. CHEC Milton Keynes provides ophthalmology and gastroenterology services to patients across Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. The community hospital has also succeeded in consistently maintaining very low waiting times, with patients currently able to access treatment in less than four weeks, dramatically enhancing their quality of life. “It’s hard to believe it’s only a year ago that we opened our doors and welcomed our first patients to CHEC Milton Keynes,” comments Bhavin Vadhia, Hospital Manager. “We’d like to thank Marie Bradburn and the local community for joining us to celebrate our first anniversary!” Over the last 12..

Midsummer Place is delighted to announce the arrival of Nacho’d, an exciting new food offering opening on The Boulevard this February. Specialising in a bold and creative take on loaded nachos, fries, and more, Nacho’d promises to delight food lovers with its fresh approach. Adding to the excitement, the business is fronted by two TV personalities whose identities will be revealed soon, along with exclusive offers to celebrate the launch. The addition of Nacho’d marks another milestone in the transformation of The Boulevard, which has become a go-to destination for food lovers wanting to experience tastes from around the world. Recent upgrades to The Boulevard have introduced a variety of global dining options, including Mediterranean delights, Asian fusion dishes, and authentic sweet treats. With Nacho’d joining the line-up, visitors can expect a unique culinary experience that further enhances the centre’s reputation as a dynamic and diverse food hub. Simon Martin,..

If you go down to the woods today, you… may see some unusual trees? There’s a new addition of deadwood poles, installed to create vital habitat for bugs, birds and other wildlife. Over the last few years, The Parks Trust with support from local school children, volunteers, and community groups including Community Trees MK, have been planting thousands of new trees to form a woodland meadow in Middleton – a great addition to the city’s landscape, but fresh new woodlands offer limited deadwood habitat. To combat the shortage of older sizeable trees, the charity caring for MK’s parks have introduced standing deadwood poles - known as ‘snags’. These additions create invaluable habitat, with flaking bark and decaying heartwood that are used by many species of invertebrate. Deadwood is known to support up to 1 in 5 woodland species, who depend on dead or dying wood to complete their life cycles...

Nature’s frosted miracle Picture this: a frosty wiThe Thnter morning, the ground is still hard, and most plants are hibernating under blankets of soil. But there they are – snowdrops (or Galanthus, if you fancy sounding like a botanist), nodding their dainty white heads as if winter’s chill is no big deal. These early bloomers are nature’s quiet rebels, thriving when most other plants wouldn’t dare poke their heads out. But how do they do it? Let’s start with timing. Snowdrops bloom in late winter to early spring, often pushing their way through snow and ice. Their secret? They’ve adapted to beat the competition. By flowering before other plants wake up, they avoid the mad scramble for pollinators. Clever, right? And while it seems like no bees or insects would be out braving the cold, snowdrops have another ace up their sleeve. On the occasional mild day, an early bumblebee..

A challenge is defined as a task or situation that tests someone’s abilities. This is what makes them such an inspiring way to fundraise. In 2025 Willen Hospice are encouraging local people to choose their challenge to help raise funds for the charity, just like Lindsey Charlesworth who is taking on the London Marathon. Lindsey chose to run this iconic event in memory of her mum, Hilary, who died in Willen Hospice last January. As a born and bred Londoner who moved to Bletchley in the early 1960s, Hilary loved watching the marathon on television. So Lindsey was determined to get a place for this year and take on the 26.2-mile challenge for the very first time. “I don’t class myself as a runner!”, says Lindsey. “Every Saturday my husband and I do Parkrun. Many decades ago I used to run half marathons, but I’ve had both my knees partially..

MyMiltonKeynes BID (MyMK) has successfully completed ‘Operation Bike Lock’, a large-scale clean-up initiative aimed at improving the appearance of Milton Keynes City Centre by removing abandoned and redundant bike locks from key areas. Over time, unused and broken bike locks have accumulated across the City Centre, particularly along Midsummer Boulevard, creating an unsightly and cluttered streetscape. Recognising the need for action, MyMK’s public realm team took a proactive approach to tackle the issue directly, in line with the BID’s Refreshed Business Plan 2024-27, which prioritises hands-on public realm improvements. In total, the team removed 251 abandoned bike locks, significantly improving the look and feel of key locations. The collected locks will now be recycled, reinforcing MyMK’s commitment to sustainability alongside its ongoing enhancement projects. “Our City Centre deserves to look its best, and even small but significant changes like this make a real difference,” said Jill Farnsworth, CEO of MyMK...

To celebrate more than 40 years of Campbell Park, The Parks Trust in partnership with Living Archive have created a new trail for visitors to discover more about the city’s central park. Supported by funding from MK City Council and MK Community Foundation, the trail includes special interviews – to watch, listen to, and read - with some of the people behind the design of Campbell Park and those who care for the park today. There’s also historic plans and drawings from the archives that show the incredible vision of the organisation that created MK - Milton Keynes Development Corporation. For example, did you know that a “water carpet” was planned for the park? And, that they had hoped to build a national sculpture park here, with sculptures by Henry Moore? Aimed at adults and older children, the interactive trail can be started from anywhere in the park – just..