Tracey Crouch, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Sport and Civil Society) will visit several venues in Milton Keynes to see for herself some of the great people we have in the city working with all types of sportsmen, regardless of capability and ability.
Tracey Crouch will be visiting Milton Keynes on Thursday 12th October.
Iain Stewart and Mark Lancaster, Milton Keynes MPs for South and North respectively, issued a joint statement:
“We are grateful to our colleague Tracey Crouch for wanting to visit Milton Keynes during its 50th Anniversary year. We look forward to showing her some fine examples of how this community uses sport to enhance the physical and mental wellbeing of our electorate, their families and visitors to Milton Keynes.”
Sir Herbert Leon Academy – 10:00 - 10:25
This is one of the first schools built in Milton Keynes and lies within one of the older areas of the borough. The school is now showing signs of improvement after being placed in special measures by OFSTED in 2016. To help address the urgent need for improved pupil development a 3G sports pitch was opened last year and it is used by the schools and the community. Evidence of improved social and community development is starting to occur following this development, much of the funding came from the FA. We have invited some of the MK Dons players to join us and some students will perform some drills.
Keep Active Keep Well – Physical Activity (Bletchley Leisure Centre) – 10:35 – 11:00
The British Lung Foundation (BLF) was awarded funding from Sport England to deliver a pilot project in only three locations across the UK, Milton Keynes being one. The collaborative scheme, commissioned by MK Clinical Commissioning Group and delivered in partnership with MKC Sports Development Team and Hertsmere Leisure Trust, aims to help patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to learn more about their condition and how they can have an active life through a behavioural change exercise programme. Since the beginning of the project in May 2016, 9 local GP surgeries are now referring patients with such conditions to the programme and more than 40 participants have taken part so far, with an expected further 150 people in 2017. Local students on the sports courses at Milton Keynes College are supporting the participants with the exercise and education sessions as part of their Leadership Programme, and the BLF scheme has now become part of the curriculum.
MK SNAP (Special Needs Advancement Programme) – 11:10 – 11:35
A centre for adults with learning difficulties, staff and volunteers at MK SNAP lead programmes of education, life skills, work preparation and opportunities, providing them with the abilities they need to be the best they can be. Sport and physical activity form a key element of the activities available. There is a sports hall that is used by the learners with external coaches attending. The learners also undertake yoga and dance. During the Minister’s visit learners will undertake some yoga moves.
Red Bull Racing – 11:45 – 12:50
It is twelve years since Red Bull Racing first came to Milton Keynes. The globally recognised race team has its hub in Milton Keynes. Across two sites Building One has design and initial manufacturing in the build workshop. Building Two is the race workshop. The company will show the Minister some exciting parts of the facility. Red Bull is a major employer in Milton Keynes and has several apprentices and graduates joining each year; it also contributes significantly to economic development both at a macro and micro level.
Planet Ice – 13:00 – 13:25
MK Lightning is now a fully professional Elite League Ice Hockey Team. Last season saw them win the Cup and Playoff titles and leave the English Premier League as the most successful semi-professional team ever. MK Lightning predominately play home games on a Saturday night with their core fan base being families. To coincide with this the club runs a thriving Schools’ enterprise scheme, which not only introduces children to the sport but gives schools a cashback amount from the tickets sold.
GB head coach Peter Russell and a player from the current MK Lightning team will lead a stick and puck session with children from a local school. The Minister will be invited onto the ice to join in (if she is game!)
Santander Cycle Scheme – Physical Activity 13:25 – 13:40 (This is short because we hope the Minister will use a Santander bike ride from Planet Ice Sport Central, a flat 500 metres)
As one of the city’s largest employers, Santander introduced its cycle hire scheme to Milton Keynes in 2016. This is critical to keeping the population mobile and increasing utilisation of the city’s unique network of Redways. As the second fattest city in England coupled with high levels of inactivity, public-private partnerships like the Santander Cycle Scheme form part of a city-wide programme of interventions to “Get MK Moving”.
Sport Central – 13:40 – 14:00
The objective for Milton Keynes is to build an active, safe and healthy community through increased participation in sport and physical activity. Sport Central has been developed to meet the needs of the MK community and to enable the growth of football, rugby and tennis specifically in the city. The facility comprises of a full size 3G Pitch, a Tennis Court and a double size Multi-Use Games Area (marked for netball and basketball), and a Pavilion. The Pavilion is a feature itself with fully accessible changing facilities, two party rooms and a club room. Sport Central has been built on reclaimed land from the site of the National Hockey Stadium. Both Milton Keynes Council and the Milton Keynes Sports Board wanted the land to be a legacy from the stadium and with investment from development contribution money, Sport England and the RFU this facility has been created in the very heart of the city.
This event will mark the completion of the facility project and provide an opportunity for MKC to thank the funding partners for their contribution to the project by the Minister for Sport and Civil Society unveiling of a plaque
Whilst at Sport Central the Minister will meet local RFU Development Leads and a number of school students, who will be the first to try out the new 3G pitch.
Portia Simond – Running Leader (This meeting will be part of the Sport Central visit)
Mental Wellbeing is a key outcome from Active Nation, something Leap (the Bucks & MK Sport & Activity Partnership (CSP)) has championed since 2012. After a period of illness Portia Simond turned to running and with financial help from Leap trained to be a qualified run leader, inspiring hundreds of other women (and men) to consider running as part of the Redway Runners and the Parkrun organisations.
