Two scenic walk events organised especially for dog lovers in Milton Keynes

The first is the Willen Woofy Dog Walk around Willen Lake this Sunday, March 15 .

This is part of the 'Go Blue' event to raise money for Willen hospice, which has joined forced with Metro Bank to organise it.

Walkers will gather at the hospice at 10.30am. The event is free but dog owners, who are encouraged to dress themselves or their dog in blue, must register beforehand here and can make a donation if they wish.

"We welcome dogs of all sizes and breeds, but they must be well behaved and happy to be with other dogs. Please be considerate and clean up after your dog," said a hospice spokesman.

The next dog lovers' event is The Parks Trust Woof Walk, which will be held on Saturday May 9.

"This dedicated dog walk will involve you and your four-legged friend being led on an hour and half walk through the beautiful Teardrop Lakes," said a Parks Trust spokesman.

The canine caper is part of the Parks Trusts 11th annual Walking Festival, which will this year feature 20 walks to suit people of all ages and abilities.

Taking place from Friday May 8 to Sunday May 10, its aim is to encourage as many people as possible to go out walking and discovering green spaces in Milton Keynes.

The first walk will be 11-mile circular route from Ouse Valley Park to New Bradwell, and back. The second will start at Shenley Wood and circle eight miles along the North Bucks Way to Howe Park Wood, finishing at Shenley Wood.

New for the 2020 festival is The Parks Trust 12.5-mile walk. This is half the distance of the mammoth 25-mile walk challenge and is ideal for those who want to tackle a shorter version.

Geocaches MK will also be joining the festival this year with their family friendly puzzle trail. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. There are hundreds of Geocaches hidden around the world and on this walk people will learn how to uncover them.

Julie Dawes, events and community engagement manager for the Parks Trust said: "It’s fantastic to see such a varied and exciting walks programme for our Walking Festival this year.

From challenging yourself to 25 miles in one day to shorter strolls this walking fiesta goes from strength to strength every year with so many different chances for people to get out and explore."

Visit www.theparkstrust.com to find out more about the walks available and to book your place.