How a conversation with a radio DJ and Cape Town have inspired Milton Keynes Guinness World Record attempt

Yesterday the MK Citizen reported on a Guinness World Record attempt that is aiming to put Milton Keynes on the international map.

Now we lift the lid on how a conversation with a radio DJ and Cape Town have inspired the event, which takes place later this year.

MK Food Bank is calling on communities, schools, churches and businesses to join ‘MK Can’ to create a 10km line of cans on October 16 – World Food Day.

It’s thought the number of cans will be around 130,000 – around half the tins needed to supply food parcels, handed out by the bank, for a year.

The current record is held by Canada which, in 2014, created a 3.8km line of some 45,000 cans. An unofficial record was also set by Cape Town South in Africa, whose residents created a 6.7km line, using 90,500 cans.

The route will begin at the The World Food Day Pillar at the iconic MK Rose.

Community groups and parish councils will be asked to take charge of one or two of the 400 sections of the line, providing the cans and the volunteers to staff their section.

Food bank operation manager Louisa Hobbs explained the idea popped up during an unexpected discussion on the local airwaves.

She told the Citizen: “The inspiration for attempting the record came from a chance conversation with a radio DJ last year who suggested it would be good way to engage the community.

“On further investigation we realised we had a very ambitious record to beat – in 2021 a food bank in Cape Town made a continuous line of over 90,000 cans! Once we got over the initial shock, we realised this would be a brilliant way, not only to collect a massive amount of food, but to mobilise the whole Milton Keynes to come together as a community.”

The lasting effects of Covid and cost of living crisis has led to increased demand for food support, with 26,000 food parcels handed out. That’s 40 per cent more than in 2021.

Staff say they are contacted by roughly 50 new people every week.

Visit the foodbank website for more event details and information on receiving or donating food.