Residents take action to make their 'deprived' Milton Keynes estate a safer and better place to live

People living and working on one of MK’s most deprived estates have taken matters into their own hands to make it a better area.
By Sally Murrer
Published 29th Mar 2022, 15:33 GMT
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The new Fishermead Citizens Alliance plans to tackle everything from safer driving to cutting crime.

This week 23 leaders from eight Fishermead institutions attended a Delegates Assembly at Frank Howe Court to plan actions on four the four main issues affecting residents and workers on the estate, which has been named as one of the most deprived areas of MK.

These issues are road safety, crime, community and environment.

Residents and delegates at the meetingResidents and delegates at the meeting
Residents and delegates at the meeting
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After an introduction from Rev Ian Herbert of Trinity Church and an update from the Neighbourhood Police Team, delegates were asked to join breakout groups to plan actions on each of the issues.

The actions agreed are wide-ranging and include implementing a 20mph zone for safe driving, a Neighbours Day, improved streetlighting and forming litter-picking teams.

It was also agreed that a sub-group of Fishermead’s institutional leaders trained by Citizens UK would organise a meeting with the candidates for MK Council’s Woughton & Fishermead ward one week before the election.

This meeting will take place on Thursday 28th April at the Chinese Overseas Church Mission.

Resident Ruth Legh-Smith presents action planned to reduce car speeds to 20mph on Fishermead estateResident Ruth Legh-Smith presents action planned to reduce car speeds to 20mph on Fishermead estate
Resident Ruth Legh-Smith presents action planned to reduce car speeds to 20mph on Fishermead estate

Tolu Agbebi, a student at University of Northampton and former Fishermead resident, said: “The contacts we make at events like this are vital.”

The Fishermead Citizens Alliance has been funded by a large strategic grant from MK Community Foundation and the National Lottery 2020-23. Its aim is to create a new broad-based alliance of faith, education and other community organisations to tackle together the social issues faced by residents in Fishermead.

Organisations represented at the meeting were the 7th Day Adventist Church, Action Speaks, Chinese Overseas Church Mission, Fishermead Community Association, Trinity Church and Community Centre, Frank Howe Court the and Salvation Army Life House project.

Apologies were received from Fishermead Mosque, Jubilee Wood Primary and Willows First schools, due to the event being held on a Sunday.

Fishermead Citizens Alliance is a 3-year project funded by MK Community Foundation to create and sustain positive change in Fishermead. The group will become part of

broader Citizens:mk alliance.

Launched in 2010, Citizens:mk works to develop the capacity and skills of MK’s socially and economically disadvantaged communities.