Take Pride in Milton Keynes and join MK’s city bid

Milton Keynes Council is calling for local people to get involved in MK’s official city bid.

Next year, Her Majesty the Queen will have reigned for 70 years and several cities will be established as part of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The Council is working with partners and organisations on a bid – to be made by 8 December – telling stories of unique local people and places and setting out why Milton Keynes is such a special candidate for city status.

Citizens can make their mark on the bid by:

• Submitting a photo of much-loved location. 50 photographs of Milton Keynes can be included in the bid (the guidelines state these must be of places in the proposed city, not of people) and the Council hopes to include as many taken by local citizens as possible. If you have a photo you’d like to be considered, you can find out more and upload it HERE by 14 November.
• Taking part in a flag design competition. The Council is also running a competition through schools where pupils can design a flag for Milton Keynes. One winning design will become part of the bid and be made into a flag to fly on and beyond bid submission day. The deadline is 14 November – MORE INFORMATION

Other ways to get involved:

• Plant a tree for the Jubilee. The Queen’s Green Canopy is a tree planting initiative where everyone is invited to ‘Plant a tree for the Jubilee’. MK Council will be planting 400 trees in public spaces as part of the project. If you’d like to plant a tree in your garden, there’s useful advice on The Queen’s Green Canopy website.
• Share something special about Milton Keynes. The Council will be posting facts and photos using the hashtag #takeprideinmk on Facebook at @MKCouncil1 and on Twitter at @MKCouncil. Back the bid by passing on favourites or by posting personal photos and stories.

Council Leader Cllr Pete Marland said: “We’re asking local people to Take Pride in MK and back the bid, taking the moment to come together and celebrate. It’s important we shout about why Milton Keynes is such a special place while the decision is being made.

“We’ll be using the bid to showcase our heritage and identity, alongside our strong communities.  We believe every country in the Commonwealth is represented among our citizens, from Australia to Zambia. Becoming a city will endorse our journey so far and bring further opportunities to come together.”

A cross-party decision for Milton Keynes to make a formal bid for city status was made at a meeting of the Council in July.

The winning cities are expected to be announced on Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee extended bank holiday weekend (2-5 June 2022).

Photo: The Tree Cathedral in Newlands, Milton Keynes