Milton Keynes meat company organises family fun day to help homeless charity
A city company that supplies cooked meat products nationwide is aiming to raise £12,000 to help homeless people here in MK.
Cranswick Convenience Foods MK is holding its sixth annual Family Fun Day on Sunday September 6 and has vowed it will be bigger and better than ever before,
All proceeds will go to UnityMK, the charity that is building a new hub at a time when the charity is building its new hub in Wolverton to create a permanent home for its work to provide support.to support the city’s homeless.
The Cranswick Family Fun Day is open to all and will take place 11am to 3pm at Middleton Pavilion on Worrelle Avenue.
It promises a day of fun with inflatables, fairground rides, food, face painting, arts and crafts and a driving experience for children aged four to 11. Visitors will also have the opportunity to meet the Cranswick recruitment team to hear more about the food industry and job opportunities within the sector, as well as the company’s work to support the local community.
Rachel Gillespie, HR Manager at Cranswick MK, said: "We’re so excited to be hosting our Family Fun Day again in 2026. This is a true team effort, and we couldn’t do it without the enthusiasm and dedication of our amazing colleagues and the generous support of our sponsor, S&W Design & Build Limited. It’s fantastic to see everyone come together, working as one team to create such a fun and memorable day for our colleagues, their families, and our local community, and importantly to raise funds for the amazing UnityMK.
“I want to also say a huge thank you to our sponsor. Without their generosity, we simply wouldn’t be able to run this day in the same way. It’s a brilliant example of businesses collaborating for community."
Around one in 113 people in Milton Keynes were classed as homeless in 2025, and UnityMK estimates there are currently 50 people sleeping rough across the city.
The charity meets around 10 new homeless people each week. In addition to offering food and shelter, UnityMK provides crucial practical support that empowers people to break the cycle of homelessness. Due to the redevelopment of its current site at the Old Bus Station, the charity is in the process of developing The UnityMK Hub in Wolverton to create a permanent home for its work and for other agencies and community groups to provide support.
Since its partnership with UnityMK began, Cranswick Convenience Foods MK has donated over £84k to the charity and offered 12 permanent jobs to people referred to them via UnityMK. Cranswick staff have also provided 850+ voluntary hours for its community partners, including UnityMK, in 2025/26 and is aiming for 2000 hours in 2026/27.
Ria House, Corporate and Community Fundraising Manager at UnityMK, said: “We're incredibly grateful to Cranswick Convenience Foods Milton Keynes for their continued support of UnityMK and for once again choosing to champion our work through their Family Fun Day. Every week, we support around 200 people through our homelessness centre and meet around 10 people experiencing homelessness for the first time. The impact of this work is life-changing.
“While we continue this vital work from the Old Bus Station, we're also preparing for an exciting new chapter with our UnityMK Hub development in Wolverton. The Hub will bring organisations together under one roof, making it easier for people to access vital, joined-up support on their journey away from homelessness. Cranswick always puts on a fantastic event that brings families together for a day of fun and community spirit. We're incredibly thankful to their whole team for hosting, and we hope local families will come along, enjoy the day, and help make a real difference for people experiencing homelessness in our city.”
The lead sponsor for this year’s Family Fun Day is S&W Design & Build Limited.