Charity that helps children play prepares to celebrate its 50th birthday in Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes Play Association (MKPA) is marking its 50th anniverary with a £50,000 fundraising appeal.
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Next year the charity will have been running for half a century.

But after a difficult lockdown period, it needs to ensure it has the resources to survive and delight children for another 50 years.

This week MKPA launched a JustGiving page in a bid to raise £50,000, and it is asking for donations of £5 apiece from supporters.

Generations of children have loved MKPA activitiesGenerations of children have loved MKPA activities
Generations of children have loved MKPA activities

The money will be put towards keeping the charity running, creating craft boxes for the children of Milton Keynes and hosting essential training sessions to keep children safe.

Since 1971, Milton Keynes Play Association has delighted generations of MK residents with fun-filled play sessions including bouncy castles, face painting, crafting under the shade of a gazebo and sliding down its water slip-and-slide.

The charity also runs the Kiln Farm-based Scrapstore which takes in an annual 60 tonnes of industrial waste that would otherwise have been sent to landfill. All the items are repurposed for arts, crafts and creative play.

This service has continued throughout lockdown on a no-contact basis, where families order a craft box by email, provide a suggested donation, and collect their box from the Scrapstore car park.

Crafting fun with MKPACrafting fun with MKPA
Crafting fun with MKPA

During lockdown, the team has also been busy creating worksheets and how-to videos to help parents support their children's learning and development while away from school.

After lockdown, MKPA will resume its ever-popular low-cost training sessions and adapt them to accommodate the new coronavirus guidelines. Training sessions range from health and safety to paediatric first aid, which help to keep children safe in a variety of environments.

Wendy Usher, the charity's volunteer acting chief executive, said: "Having been involved with MKPA for more than 30 years, I have seen the immense difference it has made to the lives of children in Milton Keynes."

She added: "Your support through this difficult period will allow us to continue to support the families of MK, helping to grow the future generation of adults for another 50 years."

The team is asking for donations of just £5 to help reach MKPA’s ambitious target of £50,000 in time for the charity’s 50th anniversary.

You can donate here

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