Local News

Milton Keynes College has received some very positive feedback following its recent ‘Good’ inspection by Ofsted, with particular praise for the opportunities offered to adult learners. The report, which commended the College on its fast and continued progress since the previous report by Ofsted, said: “Adult students’ achievement has improved in this current year and is higher than that of similar providers nationally.”  Ofsted reported that: “Adult students receive good information, advice and guidance that help them study at an appropriate level and guide them on to their next steps in further study or into employment.” They were particularly impressed by the support provided by tutors to students studying by distance learning and the large number of students who, as a result, “progress into employment or improve their performance within their current job role.”  Teachers on access to higher education programmes also received high praise for their “very detailed, precise..

It’s the biggest showcase of local talent in Central Milton Keynes this year, intuLIVE launches on Saturday 29 July giving local singers, dancers and entertainers the chance to share their talents to people in Milton Keynes. In support of the centre’s charity of the year, The Bus Shelter MK, intuLIVE in association with Unit Nine, runs throughout the summer holidays in Oak Court where local performers can use the space to promote themselves, while entertaining visitors in the centre. The launch weekend will see live acts from 11am until 4pm on Saturday and Sunday and then throughout August from midday. “We wanted to give customers free entertainment to enjoy during their visit to intu Milton Keynes and give local people a platform to show off their talents,” said marketing manager, Kirsty McGiff. “We are working with Unit Nine who have a wonderful range of artistes on their books and we’re..

Two men from Milton Keynes have raised £8,012.82 for Milton Keynes Hospital Charity’s neonatal unit fund.  Richard Hird and Chris Kealy, who both work at MK-based company Felder, wanted to set themselves a unique fundraising challenge to raise funds for the hospital’s neonatal unit. So the duo decided to jump on their jet skis and travel across the English Channel!  Despite force ten gales being forecast the week of their challenge, the pair narrowly missed the weather and made it across the channel safe and sound.  Richard said: “We trained hard in all types of weather to make sure we were prepared for any eventuality. It was great to be able to support the charity and neonatal ward in particular as it’s a cause close to both mine and Chris’ hearts.”  Their jet ski raised a staggering £8,012.82, which will fund a new cardiac monitor. The monitor will make a..

With 40 branches across Europe, the second UK store opened Friday 21st July in centre: mk, 30 Silbury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9 3AG.  Here you’ll find exotic materials including wood, bamboo, titanium, carbon, slate, feathers and the must-have ‘lace’ – all moulded and crafted into the latest frame looks for the season. At the opening celebrations guests including Mayor David Hopkins tried on glasses from the wide choice of frames with the help of celebrated eyewear artist, Frederic Beausoleil, who is renowned for his passion of selecting only the most exquisite but unusual materials to create unique frames that you won’t find anywhere else. Said Mayor David Hopkins, “We welcome another retail business to centre.mk and we’re particularly flattered that Acuitis has chosen Milton Keynes as the first town outside London to host one of their stores.” Said Jemma Johnstone, Miss Buckingham “The have so many colours and styles..

Self-financing charity The Parks Trust has received a prestigious Green Flag Award for all of the parks, woodlands and lakes it manages and maintains across Milton Keynes. This is the first time a complete network of parks across a whole town or city has been awarded the Green Flag. This international award, now into its third decade, is confirmation that The Parks Trust’s green spaces across the city are of the highest possible environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities. The Parks Trust received the award following a rigorous judging process, which included the submission of a detailed management plan for the full Milton Keynes parks network and a day of visits by the judges to a cross section of different park areas across the city, selected by the judges. Feedback from the judges was received on all aspects of The Parks Trust’s work, including biodiversity, landscape..

Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost has transformed a Milton Keynes children’s hospice’s drab concrete yard into a colourful garden paradise for seriously ill adults and children.  The Courtyard Garden, which is a joint project between Keech Hospice Care and Greenfingers Charity, has been officially opened by the landscape designer today and he said he can’t wait to see everyone’s reaction.  “I hope it surprises people to start with and then puts a smile on their faces. It’s a space people can use in many different ways,” said Adam.  Until now the garden at Keech Hospice Care in Luton, which supports adults from Luton and South Bedfordshire, and children from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes, has remained relatively unchanged since the hospice opened twenty-six years ago.  Adam said he designed the new garden to be a vision of bright colours, with a water at its centre and chose bold circular patterns..

Have a ball this summer and get ready for a summer packed with fun at intu Milton Keynes. From competitions and exciting character visits, intu Milton Keynes is helping customers get the most out of those long summer days. First, join in intu Milton Keynes’ fun ‘Have a Ball’ competition. Pick up a free beach ball from the Customer Information Desk, near Debenhams, for your chance to win a £250 intu gift card! Simply take your beach ball away on your holiday, take it on a family day out, or just in the garden, kick back with an ice lolly and share your snap with us via social media. Use the tag #intuBeachBall for your chance to win. Competition ends on 3 September. Next up, get ready for Playmobil playtime from the 29 July to the 11 August. Bring the little ones to the Playmobil play tables in the Kids’..

Willen Hospice is asking people and businesses across the region to get involved in their annual tea party and cake sale event Time for Tea. Taking place between 9th and 15th October, the Hospice is encouraging cups of tea to be made and cakes to be baked at homes, businesses and schools throughout the area to help raise vital funds to support the care provided by Willen Hospice. Willen Hospice is an independent charity that provides specialist end of life care in Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas. To continue to provide this care, they need to raise £7 every minute – which works out to around £3.6 million every year - from the local community. Dawn Clark, Fundraising Manager at Willen Hospice, said “Time for Tea is such a wonderful event for individuals and businesses to get involved in. It’s loads of fun, easy to get involved in and..

Earlier this summer local McDonald’s franchise Kaizen Restaurants announced the first annual “Kaizen Football Tournament” in aid of Ronald McDonald House Oxford. Now, with just days to go, local teams are invited to take advantage of the last remaining spaces in a bid to win the inaugural Kaizen Trophy and raise vital funds for the charity. The tournament will take place on Tuesday 25 July at the well known Powerleague facility in Walnut Tree, kicking off at 10am and running through the day.  Refreshments will be available during the day and a charity auction will also take place in the afternoon. The event will raise funds for Ronald McDonald House Oxford, which acts as a home away from home for local families with children in the Oxford John Radcliffe Hospital.  Ronald McDonald Houses around the country give families the chance to stay just a stones’ throw away from the Children's..

Skyline Taxis, a taxi firm with bases in Milton Keynes and Northampton, has invested in a fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) that are now in operation across Milton Keynes. The growing fleet, which includes one Nissan Leaf and three Tesla cars, has been part-funded by the Government’s Plug-in Car Grant for low emission vehicles. The move follows consultations with Milton Keynes Council and a pilot scheme in 2015, which saw Skyline trial a 24KW Nissan Leaf for a four-week period. Following the pilot, which was well-received by customers, it was decided to delay investing in a fleet until the 30KW model was released. Gav Sokhi, Managing Director of Skyline Taxis, said: “Skyline has been at the forefront of the EV taxi market in Milton Keynes for the last few years and was the first taxi company to register an electric vehicle with Milton Keynes Council back in 2011. We have..

Both Milton Keynes MPs Mark Lancaster and Iain Stewart attended the eagerly awaited opening of the new entrance at Milton Keynes University Hospital this week.  The entrance is the latest development in a £60m investment the hospital will see over the next 3 years. Further improvements will include the medical teaching facility for trainee doctors and clinical staff, an additional multi-storey car park and a bespoke cancer centre.  Mark commented, “I am delighted to see the new main entrance at Milton Keynes University Hospital has now opened. Continued investment will also result in an upgraded A&E, which will have a marked effect on the level of care the staff will be able to provide for local residents.  Evidence enough is we’re already attracting a number of highly qualified clinicians to MK.”   Iain added, “This is just the first part of a significant investment programme going into our hospital. Mark and..

A special delivery of MK50 postal stamps have landed on Milton Keynes’ doorstep. Milton Keynes locals, former post-master at Bletchley Park Post Office, John Chapman and Creative Designer Simon Goodger, have created a range of four commemorative stamps to celebrate Milton Keynes 50th birthday and the city’s public art. Licenced by the Royal Mail, the stamps show the famous Concrete Cows by artist Liz Leyh, the regularly passed-by sculpture, O Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast by Ronald Rae at Station Square, the memorable The Whispers bronze statue perched outside Milton Keynes’ Central Library, and lastly Willen Lake’s Peace Pagoda, the first to be built in the Western World. The stamps are available for purchase with large proportions of profits going to charity. The limited edition full sheets of 20 stamps can be bought for £40 and the mini sheets of 10 stamps cost £25. There are also accompanying MK50..

centre:mk have announced that River Island has selected the centre to create a brand new regional flagship store. Situated at 23-25 Acorn Walk, River Island will double its existing unit size to 20,000 sq ft, which will be open in time for Christmas. The store, designed by the retailer’s in-house team, will be tailored to display the brand’s full range of stylish and affordable menswear, womenswear and children’s fashion ranges. In addition, designer eyewear specialists Acuitis is set to launch its first store outside of London at centre:mk later this month. The 2,152 sq ft store, designed by its in-house team, is situated at 30 Silbury Arcade and features eyewear collections for men, women, teens and children. Kevin Duffy, Centre Director commented: “The new, significantly larger River Island store reaffirms centre:mk as a highly successful and sought after regional shopping destination. River Island’s flagship store will be an exciting addition..

A brand new Care Home in Newton Leys recently opened its doors to some local school children to plant a time capsule. 25 students from Newton Leys Primary School were invited down, and brought with them lots of wonderful, handrawn pictures and trinkets to put inside the capsule. Lakeview Lodge Care Home, which officially opens its doors on Sunday 17th of September for a Public Open Day, overlooks the beautiful Little Willow Lake and will house 66 residents and has created more than 40 jobs for local people. Spread over three floors, Lakeview Lodge will be registered to provide personalised residential and dementia care in a luxury environment, but at an affordable cost to the local community. The home has been purpose built in traditional stone to promote a lifestyle for residents that offers superior accommodation and a high quality of personalised care. The home will boast 66 en-suite bedrooms,..

This month Milton Keynes Community Fridge has been officially launched at The Old Bath House community centre in Wolverton following a successful crowdfunding campaign which saw the project exceed their target of donations towards the cost of setting up. The ‘Community Fridge’, is being trialled with the support of environmental charity Hubbub UK and Bosch in a growing effort to tackle food waste. The fridges will enable residents and businesses to share surplus food and for anyone to help themselves to quality food that would otherwise be wasted. Co-op, Wordsworth Avenue and Costa's are leading in their efforts to use the service and help them reduce their food waste.   The two fridges and one freezer donated by Bosch are available for anyone to access from Monday-Friday, 7-9pm. Co-ordinator Helen Innes said; “We are thrilled to be able to launch MK Community Fridge and thank everyone who has helped make..