Council funds special packs for schools to teach children to be proud of Milton Keynes' city status

Milton Keynes City Council is providing all city schools with free City Status Activity Packs to make pupils proud to be part of MK..

The move marks one year since Milton Keynes officially took on city status, awarded by Queen Elizabeth II as part of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The packs are suitable for all age ranges and designed to inspire young minds to think about their home city in new ways while having fun.

Activities include ‘create your own imaginary guide to MK’, ‘design a celebratory hat’, ‘plan a modern time capsule’ and much more.

The packs are housed in a specially commissioned box made by Bletchley-based G Ryder & Co, and also include a replica of the Letters Patent – the official document declaring Milton Keynes a city. This has been reproduced on vellum by Newport Pagnell company William Cowley, the historic firm that supplies vellum to the Royal Household for formal announcements such as marriages.

The first school to receive a pack was The Willows School and Early Years Centre in Fishermead. It was presented last week by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Countess Howe, with the Mayor of Milton Keynes, Cllr Mick Legg and the Mayoress.

The City Status Activity Packs were designed by the artist-run organisation White Wall Yellow Door, who specialise in creating cultural resources for children. It is the latest project organised by the city council in a series of events and activities to mark the honour of city status.

The packs will be distributed to all schools in MK throughout this month and will also be available as a free online resource here.

Leader of MK City Council, Cllr Pete Marland said this week: “City Status is more than just a label – it gives Milton Keynes the recognition it deserves and is already proving its value with even more major businesses looking to invest here.”

He added: “ Most importantly it will help us deliver on our vision to develop MK as a global city with endless opportunities for future generations.”