The Parks Trust Wins Leisure, Entertainment & Arts Category at 2018 Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards

Self-financing charity The Parks Trust is thrilled to have won the Leisure Entertainment & Arts Category at the 2018 Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards.

A new category for 2018, the award recognises the extensive and varied events and activities programme facilitated by The Parks Trust.

In 2017, the charity organised and enabled over 500 events in its parkland, from popular, standalone favourites World Picnic and Spooky Halloween Walks to smaller, regular events such as Women’s Walking Network and Tree Tots.

Additionally, The Parks Trust offers an extensive programme of community engagement, working with local communities to encourage them to engage with their green and open space and developing its Community Ambassador Programme.

In particular, the Trust is working closely with BAME communities through workshops, training and devoted staff resource, which led to several diverse communities hosting their own MK50 celebrations in 2017 including MK Hindu Association’s Mela, African Diaspora Day and Filipino Festival.

The Parks Trust also regularly brings many Milton Keynes organisations together through successful partnership working initiatives. Partnership projects in 2017 included several cultural firsts for the city including the History Festival, the Festival of Nature and the Illuminated Boat Festival.

Julie Dawes, The Parks Trust’s Events & Community Engagement Manager, commented: “We are so pleased to have been recognised at the 2018 Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards. While managing and maintaining over 6,000 acres of green space across Milton Keynes is a big part of what we do, many people don’t realise just how many events and activities we organise in our parkland.

“We work very hard to ensure we offer a diverse programme that provides something for everyone, whatever your age, ability or interests. We want to encourage as many people as possible to get outside and enjoy their local environment and look forward to hosting many more fantastic events over the years to come!

The Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards were announced last night, Thursday 8^th March at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel at the stadium:mk. In addition to winning the Leisure, Entertainment & Arts category, The Parks Trust was also a finalist for Charity of the Year.

For more information about The Parks Trust, visit www.theparkstrust.com