Local News

Shoppers are being invited to help support homeless people in Milton Keynes this Christmas. Back for a second year, the intu Milton Keynes Giving Tree will return to the centre from Friday 1 December to help bring help to the homeless this Christmas. After a successful first year in 2016 with the Milton Keynes Hospital Charity, this year, the centre is supporting several local charities who offer support to the homeless people of Milton Keynes. With a record number of homeless people and families in Milton Keynes, the charities who will be supported by the Giving Tree this year include The Bus Shelter MK, Open Door, Winter Nights Shelter MK and Help our Homeless MK. All four organisations are dedicated to helping fight the need to sleep rough in Milton Keynes and each do this by offering services such as overnight shelter, hot meals and guidance. Pam Williams from The..

Xscape MK is spreading the festive cheer far and wide this year as Santa will arrive in his grotto on Saturday 9th December and you can visit him for FREE right up until Christmas Eve.  The big man will be in his grotto, located in the main mall, every day between 11am and 5pm ready to discover what children want for Christmas and to give out presents. Families can visit for FREE with online booking* opening mid/late November.  However, Xscape will be collecting for their partner charity Barnardos, so maybe bring some spare change! Limited walk-up slots will also be available on a day-by-day basis but it is advisable to book in advance, if possible.  Look out for their red throne photo opportunity on the main mall where you can discover if you’ve been ‘naughty or nice’, and Xscape can help out with those last-minute present buying dilemmas, their gift..

Action4Youth, an energetic youth charity that provides positive, often transformational experiences and activities, works to enable young people of all abilities and disabilities to learn to challenge themselves - learning what they can achieve rather than what they can’t.  Confidence, self-belief, and people skills are not traits that come naturally to young people with learning disabilities and Special Educational Needs (SEN), so it’s easy to see how they can become self-conscious, isolated and afraid to try new things. One youth charity is working with SEN students, taking them out of their comfort zone and opening their eyes to the possibilities and opportunities that life has to offer.  Jack Mitchell is 16 and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with autistic traits, which means that whilst he’s very sociable, Jack struggles to interact appropriately. Growing up, Jack always found it difficult to fit in at school and has never established a group of friends.  Jack’s Mum,..

This year’s City Centre Christmas Light Switch On will be on Saturday 18th November and promises to be the most spectacular that Milton Keynes has ever seen.  The free event will take place at the front of intu Milton Keynes from 3:30pm with the switch on happening at approx 4.50pm. Heart FM will be hosting the stage in the build up to the big countdown with live entertainment, competition choirs and the traditional Salvation Army band.  We’re promised Father Christmas will make a quick stop in MK from his busy pre-Christmas schedule to do the honours along with the Mayor of Milton Keynes and Heart FM competition winners. A big screen will show the huge parcel being lit up in Station Square, three giant Kings lit on the roof of Christ the Cornerstone Church as well as the parcels and trees along Midsummer Boulevard bursting into festive life.  After the..

The Parks Trust is saddened to report that a sheep has been killed in a brutal and deliberate knife attack. The attack is believed to have taken place during the afternoon or night-time of Sunday 5th November 2017. An independent vet has examined the sheep’s remains and confirmed that the death was caused by a human rather than another animal. The vet also believes the attack was carried out using a knife. The sheep was found in Ouzel Valley Park, Woughton on the Green, on land belonging to The Parks Trust, the self-financing charity that manages and maintains over 6,000 acres of green space across Milton Keynes. Rob Riekie, Landscape and Operations Director for The Parks Trust, commented: “We are all devastated by this malicious, disturbing attack on one of our sheep. The remains were discovered by a member of the public which was incredibly distressing for them, and for..

Decorating and building supplies company Kent Blaxill opened their new 3,500 sq ft store on Erica Road, Stacey Bushes Trading Centre in Milton Keynes last week. This prestigious family firm has over 175 years' experience in working with both professional and DIY home markets and provides a wide range of quality decorating products. Mayor of Milton Keynes, David Hopkins, joined the Kent Blaxill team to officially cut the opening ribbon. The new branch continues the Kent Blaxill tradition of supplying some of the industry's finest names.  This includes an extensive range of paints and related products, with a strong focus on designer paints including Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint and Paper Library, Mylands, Designers Guild, Fired Earth and Zoffany as well as trusted trade brands such as Dulux, Crown and Armstead. Professionals can also enjoy a daily decorative materials delivery service. Simon Blaxill, Kent Blaxill's Managing Director, said: “The new Milton Keynes branch is a great..

Xscape Milton Keynes has today announced that the famous Coca-Cola Christmas Truck will be making a stop at Xscape on Friday 15 December as part of its UK-wide tour.  Last year, over 9,000 people headed down to see the star of ‘that advert’, taking selfies, enjoying giveaways and listening to festive music. The truck will be at Xscape from 11am to 7pm, so giving everyone a chance to make the trip to see it.  Xscape General Manager, Carl Meale, commented on the announcement, “We are thrilled that the famous truck is stopping at Xscape for the second year in a row, last year was a huge success with so many families wanting to get a photo of the iconic Christmas vehicle.”  The festive fun doesn’t stop there, look out for more festive announcements from Xscape MK coming soon. Find out more at www.xscape.co.uk or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Father & Son Goldsmiths and Watchmakers, The Goldsmithy raised over £1,694.50 for Willen Hospice at its Silent Auction and Demonstration evening held last week.  The Stony Stratford based workshop put on an evening to showcase a selection of bespoke, handmade pieces and swan inspired silver jewellery to raise money for Willen Hospice. Glenn Chapman, who was trained by Cartier London in 1972 and son, Paul Chapman, demonstrated the jewellery making process and invited members of the audience to take part.   Guests took part in a silent auction where they bid to win specially created limited edition pieces - which included a coin to commemorate MK50. Mayor David Hopkins took part in the making of the one-off coin which raised £750, contributing to the total amounts donated to the Hospice. The coin represented some of Milton Keynes’ iconic features, including the Point, the Peace Pagoda and the concrete cows.   Glenn Chapman,..

Aerial Extreme, the popular high ropes course at Willen Lake, is rebranding to Treetop Extreme from today 1st November 2017. Throughout the autumn and winter, Treetop Extreme will run morning and afternoon sessions every weekend until February half term, when weekday sessions will also be available. There are three difficulty levels to choose from at Treetop Extreme, with four zip-wires and over 50 obstacles. The highlight of the course for many is the 13m freefall simulation. Customers can turn up on the day but booking in advance is advised; this is available through www.willenlake.org.uk Aerial Extreme has been rebranded to Treetop Extreme because Willen Lake, which is run by The Parks Trust, has taken over direct management of the attraction. Rob Wood, General Manager of Willen Lake, commented: “We’re very pleased to be adding Treetop Extreme to our portfolio of activities. It is already a popular attraction at Willen Lake..

Ana Pearson, a 12-year-old from Buckingham has been announced the winner in the girls’ nett category of an annual golfing competition run by The Daily Telegraph in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Ana, a Year 8 student from Akeley Wood School, took up golf just two years ago, following in the footsteps of her older brothers and now plays for the County. One of the youngest competitors, Ana has won a coaching trip to the Quinta do Lago course in Portugal as well as a golf kit Ana’s win has been the results of a great deal of dedication and hard work as her mother Emma explains: ‘After school most days Ana either plays at the golf course or the driving range and she has regular lessons too. We’re extremely proud of her achievement, particularly as she’s one of the youngest taking part. ‘We had to wait until the end of September for..

Milton Keynes Hospital Charity is launching ‘The Big Christmas Give’ appeal today, with the aim of raising £10,000 to buy items that will make a huge difference to patients and visitors at the hospital.  Every year the public, local businesses and schools dig deep and bring a huge amount of presents to Milton Keynes University Hospital. This year, the charity is asking those kind donors to donate to their Christmas appeal instead – to help fund specific items on a wish list that will create a lasting impact for patients and their families.  Three areas have been chosen to benefit from the appeal this year: the children’s wards; cancer services and dementia services.  Head of fundraising, Vanessa Holmes said: “We’re asking people to donate to our Big Christmas Give and help make a lasting difference to patients and their families.  “Over Christmas, we get a lot of presents donated to..

A team of more than 65 volunteers from local legal firm EMW Law in Knowlhill swapped their usual jobs for overalls last week when they spent a day sprucing up some of the council’s facilities for children, older people and people with learning difficulties. EMW's Real Estate team visited Petworth House in Great Holm, Whaddon Day Centre in Bletchley, Playzone Day Nursery at Hedgerows Family Centre in Netherfield and Windmill Children’s Centre in New Bradwell. The team building exercise saw them paint tired walls, improve outdoor areas, revamp seating, plant shrubs, and decorate and renovate areas to give them a new lease of life. The team provided new furniture, soft furnishings, plants and equipment to make the centres more homely and welcoming. They even turned their hands to baking to create afternoon tea for the residents of Petworth House. Aimee Barrable, Principal at EMW said: “It was easily the most..

This week, Mayor David Hopkins and the Mayoress were given a lesson in piercing out intricate designs on metal by Cartier London trained, Glenn Chapman and son, Paul Chapman. The Mayor and Mayoress applied their knowledge by taking part in the making of a limited edition coin to commemorate Milton Keynes’ 50th birthday.  The special coin was designed and hand-crafted by The Goldsmithy, based in Stony Stratford for its charity fundraising evening on Thursday 19 October. The coin, along with five other specially made pieces will be auctioned to raise money for Willen Hospice.  The Goldsmiths and Watchmakers, will host two ticket times at their workshop in O’dells Yard – one from 6pm – 7.30pm, and another from 7.45pm – 9.15pm. Tickets are limited and will cost £5, all of which will be donated to Willen Hospice.   Guests will enjoy a glass of bubbly on arrival as they explore some of..

50 years ago when Milton Keynes was envisioned and built, a 40 acre site was designated for use as a riding school. The idea was that local residents could enjoy horses and green space right in the heart of the town. That space is in Loughton and after many years of neglect the charity, Ride High, has taken over a 30-year lease of the site and a commitment to turn it into a thriving riding school that everyone can enjoy. The Ride High Equestrian Centre is in Loughton just 10 minutes walk from the train station and the heart of Milton Keynes Rachel Medill MBE, Founder and CEO of Ride High said: “This huge green oasis of land sits in the heart of Milton Keynes but is almost unknown.  It was intended to be a space where local people could enjoy the countryside and the gentle beauty of horses but..

Country Court Care was delighted to welcome local dignitaries and business people to the Grand Opening of their state-of-the-art Care Home, Lakeview Lodge in Newton Leys, near Bletchley. Lakeview Lodge Care Home provides residential and essential specialist dementia care in a beautiful, homely environment tailored to fulfill the needs of the residents. With 66 tastefully decorated ensuite rooms, the stunning Lakeview Lodge Care Home boasts a beauty and hairdressing salon, a private dining room, a family room, a relaxation spa, a bar named the “Enigma Lounge”, a shop and cinema to entertain residents and their families. Spacious lounges and dining rooms overlook the beautiful Little Willow Lake and a variety of events and activities offer residents the opportunity to socialise and make new friends. Mayor of Milton Keynes, Cllr David Hopkins and Country Court Care’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Abdul Kachra performed the ribbon cutting whilst guests toasted the opening..