Author - Stuart | YLF

The Department for Transport announced on the 6^th of February that local areas can apply to become Britain’s first fully electric bus town.

Local authorities can now apply to become the UK’s first all-electric bus town, setting the ‘gold-standard’ in environmentally friendly public transport.

Iain Stewart MP welcomes this announcement and hopes the Milton Keynes Council will launch a bid to secure the funding.

The winning area will receive up to £50 million to help pay for a brand-new fleet of electric buses, reducing emissions and cleaning up the air in their community.

A town with 200 electric buses could save around 7,400 tonnes of CO2 each year, the equivalent to taking 3,700 diesel cars off the road.

Milton Keynes already has 8 electric buses operating on Route 7, which have been running since 2014, covering 15 miles between Wolverton and Bletchley and carrying an estimated 800,000 passengers a year.

Iain Stewart MP said:

“It would be fantastic if all of MK’s bus fleet could become electric and help push to MK’s goal of being carbon neutral.

“We have the electric buses on Route 7 so there is evidence electric buses are feasible in Milton Keynes. By having an entire fleet of electric buses, it will go hand in hand with MK’s drive to be a hub of innovation.”

Ben Everitt commented:

“We want Milton Keynes to lead the way on tackling climate change so I’d encourage the council to bid for this funding so we can continue to be a hub of innovation and green technology.”

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said:

“Buses carry more people than any other form of public transport in the UK, and with 200 electric buses able to offset 3,700 diesel cars, it is clear they have a crucial role to play in bringing down emissions.

“But Britain’s first all-electric bus town is just the start. Helping deliver on our manifesto promise, this £170 million package will help us to create communities which are cleaner, easier to get around and more environmentally friendly, speeding up journeys and making them more reliable.

“By focusing on efficient and affordable transport, we will make greener journeys the natural choice.”

The Government announced on the 30^th of January its preferred route for the central section of the East West Rail.

The route will connect Bedford and Cambridge by rail with more stations being built on the line, which will eventually link with Milton Keynes via Bletchley Train Station.

This next phase of the East West Rail is welcomed by Iain Stewart MP, the Government’s Champion for the Oxford – Milton Keynes – Cambridge Arc, providing better connectivity to and from Milton Keynes’.

This move will allow MK residents easier travel within the Arc for work, tourism, and recreation.

Consequently, with the EWR being installed, less cars will be on the roads; reducing congestion on Milton Keynes’ roads and tackling our carbon footprint.

Iain Stewart MP commented:

“I am delighted that this next stage of the east-west has been announced. With preparatory work on-going for the section between Bletchley and Bicester, it is good to see the section east of Bedford being set-out.

“When completed, this line will be a major economic boost for Milton Keynes and help the environment by encourage a shift from road to rail transport.”

The Minister for Future of Transport, George Freeman MP, said:

“East-West Rail has the potential to improve rail links to support opportunities for new housing, reduce congestion and pollution and unlock the economic potential across the region.

“By boosting rail connectivity we can improve access to economic opportunities for people in this area, and boost the quality of life in this vital arc.”

Politics isn’t always a piece of cake, but local MPs Ben Everitt and Iain Stewart celebrated Milton Keynes’ 53rd birthday with a slice of it in Westminster.

The town was founded on 23 January 1967 after an Act of Parliament, but already has a rich history from F1 successes Red Bull Racing being based here to holding huge concerts including acts such as Green Day, Michael Jackson and Queen.

And as MK moves into the future, it is already home to more electric car charging than anywhere else in the country and has become a hub for technology with the introduction of delivery robots and trials for driverless cars.

Ben and Iain made sure the busy world of politics didn’t get in the way of celebrating MK’s big day by grabbing a birthday cupcake – or two – and speaking about what makes the town so special.

Ben commented, “There is so much to celebrate about Milton Keynes on our 53rd birthday – it really is a wonderful place to live, work and bring up a family.

“While there are plenty of good reasons to celebrate MK’s past, the future is even more exciting. MK has so much potential to be a hub for innovation, tech and environmentally friendly businesses and I will continue to encourage that.”

Iain added, “Milton Keynes’ birthday is a great opportunity to reflect on what a brilliant place it is to live, work and play.

“The New City has so much to offer from an Internationally acclaimed Bletchley Park to an indoor ski slope, and with many more birthdays to come the potential is huge. Hopefully when we celebrate MK’s 100th birthday we will be home to a Premier League football team!”

Milton Keynes North MP Ben Everitt swapped the green benches of the House of Commons for the green parks of MK by helping a local community litter pick in Brooklands.

The community litter picks, run by local groups Broughton and Brooklands Community Connectors and The Parks Trust, have been running for two years now and in 2019, volunteers collected a total of 100 bags of litter during the Broughton and Brooklands community litter picks.

Ben and his family at Brooklands Meadows Park took time out of their weekend to help make sure the green spaces in the city remain clean.

He commented: “We’ve got some beautiful parks across MK. It was great to be able to get out in the fresh air and help keep MK looking green.

“We’re lucky to have so many amazing green spaces across MK so I really would encourage anyone to get out and get involved with any local litter picks. Even an hour or so can really spruce up an area!”

If you would like to get involved, please contact The Parks Trust via email volunteering@theparkstrust.com or follow Broughton and Brooklands Community Connectors on Facebookhttps://en-gb.facebook.com/bbcommunityconnectors/

Milton Keynes based charity The Henry Allen Trust are delighted to announce that throughout 2018 they raised a massive £88,729 and on target to beat that this year. 

The Henry Allen Trust was formed after Henry Allen, aged just 4 years, said that he wanted to help other children with cancer. 

Dawn Allen, Director of The Henry Allen Trust said: “Henry made so many friends in hospital and you do become like a family. This meant that we could share experiences whilst in hospital and everyone had the same frustrations and concerns, this is where we chose to build the foundation of support that The Henry Allen Trust provides.”

Throughout 2018 The Henry Allen Trust used the funds raised to;

• Fund the first “Trained by Henry” nurse, a programme that funds extra specialist training for Children’s Oncology Nursing Team,
• Provide a monthly support group meeting and online hangout for families battling childhood cancer to share their experiences and give the children a chance to meet and play with other children without feeling out of place or different. 
• Present papers to steering committees within health services to help improve the services offered within Child Oncology Services and provide a framework for medical professionals to understand the patient journey. 
• Provide treats and wishes to give some respite and help families create special memories and realise dreams. These included ipad, laptop for schoolwork, family holidays, pushchair, treats whilst having treatments abroad, VIP trip to the zoo, merlin passes and driving lessons.
• Support families with grants to ensure that they had the money available to cover travel and accommodation expenses, rent or mortgage payments, purchase of passports for treatment abroad, white good appliances, fridge freezers, washing machines or emergency repair bills. 

“It is natural to think that what we can’t do today can be done tomorrow, when you have a child with cancer you do not know how many tomorrows you actually have. Being able to create a special memory where it is you and your child rather than a patient is immeasurable.” Said Dawn Allen, Henry’s Mummy and Director of The Henry Allen Trust. “Henry was too young to have his wish granted by a national charity and by the time he was old enough it was too late. We know first-hand how important those special moments are to parents and that is something we are truly dedicated to building.”

“The work we do and the feedback from the health professionals we work alongside as well as the families we support is truly exceptional” Said Nicola Case, Trustee for The Henry Allen Trust. “But this all comes at a cost, for less than a cup of coffee a month the adult population of Milton Keynes could fund our treats and wishes programme for a year. We have just announced our Christmas Pledge Appeal to help fund our work, all we are

adult population of Milton Keynes could fund our treats and wishes programme for a year. We have just announced our Christmas Pledge Appeal to help fund our work, all we are asking is for people to spend 30 seconds to donate £2, or what they can afford, between now and 24^th December.”

To help spread some Henry’s Happiness you can Text THAT4 £2 to 70470. 

Having recently celebrated her 95th birthday, Joan Rose is probably the oldest volunteer in north Bucks;  maybe even in the whole county!

After she was born in Plymouth in 1924, Joan spent time in a children’s home in London before she was adopted at 10 months old by a family in Coventry.

She moved to Newport Pagnell when she was 16, to avoid the bombing of the Midlands’ city. She met her husband, Sidney, in the town and they had six children; five sons and a daughter.

Her volunteering began when she helped to set up and later run a mother and toddler group at the town’s United Reform Church. She was involved in the group for seven years and went on to volunteer at Pagnell Grange (now Westbury Grange) before starting at The Brooklands Centre nearly 40 years ago.

Joan has been volunteering at the Centre ever since. She still lives in Newport Pagnell and donates her time by helping out at the Monday Day Club, a social group for elderly residents of the town, most of whom are much younger than Joan herself!

She’s picked up at 8 o’clock in the morning and works until about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, preparing the lunches and serving refreshments. Joan is known at the club as the ‘onion lady’ as she’s the only one who can peel and chop the onions without crying!

Joan has also run stalls and tombolas for the Centre and was The Brooklands Carnival Queen in the 2018 Newport Pagnell Carnival when she took up her regal position in the front seat of the Centre’s mini-bus in the parade.

In 2012, she was one of four ‘Golden Girl’ Brooklands volunteers presented with the Milton Keynes Pride in the Community Award.

Joan takes a rest from her volunteering (but not from The Brooklands Centre) when she has lunch each week at the Centre’s Tuesday Pop-In. She enjoys meeting her friends there and being waited on by some of the Centre’s other 70 volunteers.

Joan has a sharp mind and is a sprightly 95-year-old. She said: “The Brooklands Centre is a wonderful place to go. It’s so friendly and full of smiling faces; there’s such a fantastic atmosphere. I get on well with the other volunteers and I love to help out.” 

A celebration was held this week at Milton Keynes University Hospital to mark the installation of a mural, funded purely through fundraising and donations.

Naomi Avery, senior sister on Ward 23, set herself the incredible challenge – and succeeded! – in running 2018 kilometres in 2018 to enhance the experience of patients on her ward. She raised an impressive £3,441 as a result.

All the money raised was then matched pound for pound by Milton Keynes Hospital Charity and has funded a set of nine murals, featuring scenes and landmarks in and around Milton Keynes; culminating in the final picture of Buckingham Palace, where Naomi was invited to a garden party to celebrate her fundraising success.

The artwork was designed by artist and illustrator Rob Cowan, who spent a considerable amount of time talking to patients about their local memories, and to Naomi about what she wanted included in the murals.

Rob said: “It was fascinating to hear so many stories and memories from patients, including people who had actually worked at places like Bletchley Park and the Wolverton Works. The nine murals can be viewed on their own or patients can follow the journey round the ward – the idea being that each one is a talking point of familiar landmarks, to help patients reminisce and to give them a stimulating focus during their stay on the ward.”

Says Naomi on her fundraising and the difference it has made: “When the murals were installed, we immediately saw a change in the patients on the ward – they were so much calmer. Patients can walk around on their own, with family, staff or carers, and we’ve provided activity cards and colouring packs based on the murals for them too.

“It’s great to see that the hard work has paid off; the murals have already made such a difference. Thank you so much to all my family, friends and the hospital charity for their support. I couldn’t have achieved all this without them.”

For more information on how fundraising for Milton Keynes Hospital Charity enhances patient care and experience, people can visit www.mkhcharity.org.uk.

Our picture shows:

(L-R) Artist and Illustrator Rob Cowan, MKUH Chief Executive Joe Harrison, Mayor of Milton Keynes Cllr Sam Crooks, Ward Sister Naomi Avery and her colleagues, friends and family officially open the murals.

Media contact

For more information contact Vanessa Holmes on 01908 996220 or email fundraising@mkuh.nhs.uk.

Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar’s very own Head Chef has been crowned Best Indian Chef at the Euro Asia Curry Awards 2019.

Shanoor Miah, scooped the prestigious award at a ceremony at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London on Monday 11 November.

The annual Euro Asia Curry Awards are committed to celebrating the success of the curry industry and the people behind it. They were established in 2015 and aim to boost the UK economy, shout about the success of small businesses, support up and coming business stars, and celebrate diversity in the food industry.

The good news comes just weeks after the multi award-winning Maaya Indian Kitchen and Bar was a finalist in the ninth English Curry Awards 2019 and has been shortlisted for the British Curry Awards 2019, which take place on Monday 25 November.

Judges selected Shanoor for his outstanding passion, creative approach, unrivalled skill and constant dedication to creating the best and most delicious Indian food.

Mo Abdul, joint owner and manager of Maaya, said: “We are so proud of Shanoor! We only employ the very best chefs here at Maaya. Shanoor’s heart is truly in his food and his Best Indian Chef title is fully deserved. We are very proud!”

To find out more about Maaya, visit www.maayamiltonkeynes.com

Feeling exhausted, stressed, over-wrought, in need of a rest but struggling to sleep? Then award winning, independent yoga business, Sweat Studios, has the perfect workshop for you! ‘The Big Chill’ takes place on Sunday 17 November at 3:30pm – 5:30pm, at their new Buckingham studio, and is designed to reduce stress and anxiety.

A 2018 study* commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation found that almost 74% of UK adults said they felt so stressed over the previous year that they were overwhelmed or had been unable to cope – The Big Chill is a two-hour workshop focused on helping you find relief from the busy, stress-filled lives many of us lead.

The session will begin with some light mediation and breathing techniques designed to help calm your body and mind. You’ll then have an opportunity to learn and practice some slow, restorative yoga poses which can help reduce stress and anxiety, before the session concludes with a long, guided relaxation.

The workshop also offers you an opportunity to talk to your instructor, Lucinda Memery, who will explain the benefits that this type of yoga practice has on you physically and mentally. She will also share with you tips to enable you to take the learnings from the day into your daily life and leave you better able to manage stresses and anxieties.

Sweat Studios owner, Kirsty Lowe, said “Many people tend to think of yoga as an activity that just stretches muscles, however there are a series of yoga poses that are designed to work with your central nervous system to reduce your fight or flight response, which is what kicks in when we are stressed. The Big Chill workshop has been created to help you reap wellness benefits during the session, so you will leave feeling much calmer, as well as teaching you techniques you can use day-to-day to help make feelings of stress and anxiety a thing of the past.”

The Big Chill takes place at Sweat Studios Buckingham studio, 28 Candleford Court – free parking is available in Cornwall’s Meadow Cap Park, a one-minute walk away.

As well as The Big Chill, Sweat Studios are introducing a new class to their winter timetable: Candlelit Chill-Out. These take place in their Milton Keynes studio on Mondays at 8pm and Buckingham on Tuesday at 8pm. This seasonal class is perfect for all abilities and is designed to help beat the winter blues. It comprises slow, floor-based, simple-to-do yoga poses to deliver the benefits of rest without the sleep.

Classes are easy to book online, and Sweat Studios is a contract-free zone. You can sign up for a group of classes or just drop in and pay for each class as you go – offering you maximum flexibility to tailor your workout times to suit you and your lifestyle. Sweat Studios also provide everything you need for a yoga class, including yoga mats, climate-controlled studios and cushioned flooring – all you have to do is turn up!

To find out more, or to book your place at The Big Chill visit, www.sweatstudios.co.uk or call 01280 823220.