Our new mayor leads cycling 'flower ride' through Milton Keynes to promote pedal power

Marie Bradburn adorned her bike with flowers to lead the community ride through CMK in order to launch a Year of Cycling.

Some 45 cyclists joined her, also festooned with blooms to celebrate the spring theme.

The mayor said: “As well as being environmentally sustainable and good for our health, cycling is fun. I’m planning to cycle to as many civic appointments as I can this year. I want to encourage more children to cycle to school and more women to cycle too.”

Her initiative follows recent Milton Keynes travel survey reports showing 1,100 Year 7 children are driven less than two miles to school each day.

The surveys also showed that women feel less safe cycling on the Redways than men.

Marie said: “I feel like I am an ordinary person who has discovered the benefits of cycling, which I do whenever I can, and I want others to enjoy it too, especially those we see less of on the redways.”

Cllr Jenny Wilson-Marklew, Cabinet member for Public Realm, is also aiming to increase the number of women and children cycling on the redways.

She said: “The mayor has won my heart by launching this Year of Cycling. I am looking forward to cycling the redways with her.”

Marie was inaugurated as the city’s new major at a ceremony last week. She immediately made history with the chose of the consorts for the year.

Usually family members accompany mayors on their duties and public events. But Marie, who is passionate about health and social care, has unusually chosen two young people who are in care to be her official consorts.

The themes of this year’s mayoralty will be education, young people, and active transport. And the mayor’s chosen charity is Sieve MK Gateway, which is dedicated to addressing educational underachievement among young people, particularly BAME students.

Marie co-founded SMK Gateway in 2007 to help children struggling through school, but has stepped back since 2020 to focus on her council duties.

Donations to the Mayor’s Charities can be made online here,