This is how one thriving community club keeps 700 youngsters happy, active, and off the streets in Milton Keynes

A community basketball club for children and teenagers has shot from 40 members to more than 700 over the past few years.

The success of Milton Keynes Basketball club is its motto of 'Basketball For All' and its philosophy of offering it from recreational level upwards to as many local youngsters as possible. You can see them in action in the video above.

Chairman Peter Taylor and his wife Alyson took over a small local basketball club called Shenley Scorpions four years ago. They renamed it Milton Keynes Basketball Club (MKBC) and set about growing the membership.

Today they have 700 plus members aged between four and 18. Some 100 of them are girls. They have five basketball centres, their own Central Venue League, a Junior National League and even their our own Basketball Academy within the 5D Trust at Hazeley and Shenley Brook End schools.

"We employ six local people, have worked with sports centres and schools to get updated courts, and we run outdoor basketball and 3v3 in conjunction with a local charity to fight gang crime," said Peter.

The club is also planning to bring Senior Basketball back to MK, 12 years after the MK lions left.

MKBC runs training or playing sessions seven days a week with 55 separate basketball sessions at five different basketball venues – Shenley Brook End, Stantonbury, St Pauls and Oakgrove schools and Bletchley Leisure Centre. It also provides specialist basketball coaching to over 30 MK primary and secondary schools.

"For recreational groups, as well as weekly training sessions, we also offer regular gamedays encouraging competitive basketball between our basketball centres without ever leaving MK," said Peter.

There are plenty of opportunities for talented players. MKBC runs an All Stars programme for Under 10s, and also Junior National League teams at U12/14/16 girls and U12/14/16 and 18 boys.

In September last year, in conjunction with the 5D Trust, they launched a special 6th Form Basketball Academy, allowing the very best basketball talent to stay and compete in MK.

"Our community commitment extends far beyond our own club programme," said Peter. "We work with local organisations like the MK Community Foundation, local Parish Councils and local charity 5 On It to provide free summer outdoor basketball coaching., 3v3 local basketball competitions, and regular holiday basketball camps.

"Plus we work with the “The Barefoot Project’ charity, collecting old and unwanted sport wear from our members to send to kids in South Africa, Fiji and Samoa."

Through the governments Kickstart programme, MKBC employs five young local people - four as basketball coaches and one on social media to support a volunteer coaching team. As well as coaching our community groups, they provide specialist basketball coaching to over 30 MK primary and secondary schools.

"Next season will see us bringing back Senior Men’s basketball to Milton Keynes as we continue our growth, development and expansion, putting Milton Keynes firmly on the map as a major UK basketball destination," said Peter.

You can enrol your child at the club, or book a taster session here.