Toby Barnes

MK Digest – A421 closures, free SEND support & £5k grants

Oct 26, 2026

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5 min read

MK Digest – A421 closures, free SEND support & £5k grants

Plus firefighter opportunities, award-winning local businesses, Matilda and free half-term activities.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – PodGolf, UV splatter rooms, 600-home plan & care centre

Oct 19, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – PodGolf, UV splatter rooms, 600-home plan & care centre

Try virtual golf or splatter painting, check safer youth clubs, and see why MK has a new robotics hub.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Padel opening, delivery robots & free cat-neutering vouchers

Oct 12, 2026

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5 min read

MK Digest – Padel opening, delivery robots & free cat-neutering vouchers

UK PADEL opens at Willen Lake, MKUH treats 28 young patients, Woburn Sands gets live bus screens, plus nine events for the week ahead.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – 90-home plan, pickleball, bus links & a £28m deal

Oct 5, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – 90-home plan, pickleball, bus links & a £28m deal

YMCA plans up to 90 homes, western bus links are explored, MK Smashers plans a 24-hour pickleball festival, and Canon changes hands.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Dementia Safety & £12.5k Start-up Support

Sep 28, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – Dementia Safety & £12.5k Start-up Support

Plus £4.35m heat-network works, Serpentine Court demolition, an Al’s Pals appeal, free DJ clubs and eight other local picks.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Crisis Help, £3 Ghost Walks and a 100-Author Book Fair

Sep 21, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – Crisis Help, £3 Ghost Walks and a 100-Author Book Fair

Plus a free CMK dance installation, Bletchley regeneration plans, ADHD support and seven event picks for the week ahead.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Bank Closures, M1 Disruption and New Local Services

Sep 14, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – Bank Closures, M1 Disruption and New Local Services

Central MK bank closures, M1 overnight works, an expanded council laundry service, Wolverton Market Hall and more.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Full Fibre, Triathlon road closures & FREE heritage events

Sep 7, 2026

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5 min read

MK Digest – Full Fibre, Triathlon road closures & FREE heritage events

Full Fibre reaches 110,000 MK homes and businesses, plus Sunday road closures, free Heritage Open Days and this week’s What’s On.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Gymnastics Future, 100+ Stalls & Woodland Works

Aug 31, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – Gymnastics Future, 100+ Stalls & Woodland Works

New operator sought for Kingston gymnastics centre, 100+ Handmade and Vintage stalls return, and Ash Dieback work begins across three MK woodlands.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Bus Changes, New Woodland Trails and 30+ Tribute Acts

Aug 24, 2026

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5 min read

MK Digest – Bus Changes, New Woodland Trails and 30+ Tribute Acts

Arriva route changes, new trails and accessibility improvements at Shenley Wood, a free neurodivergent school-holiday guide, MK Tribute Festival, Bletchley Park radio workshop and more.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Royal Mail Delays, New Community Larder and 3-Day Film Festival

Aug 17, 2026

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4 min read

MK Digest – Royal Mail Delays, New Community Larder and 3-Day Film Festival

Six MK postcode districts are on Royal Mail’s delay list, Pebbles offers lower-cost weekly food, plus 2CIFF, free inflatables and sports sessions, and Lovat Hall redevelopment.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – FREE EV Charging, New Maternity & Children’s Building and MK Weekender

Aug 10, 2026

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4 min read

MK Digest – FREE EV Charging, New Maternity & Children’s Building and MK Weekender

Xscape opens a 32-bay EV charging hub, MKUH moves forward with its new hospital building, plus free photography workshops and MK Weekender

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – FREE Bus Travel for Kids, Road Resurfacing and Summer Festivals

Aug 3, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – FREE Bus Travel for Kids, Road Resurfacing and Summer Festivals

Free August bus travel for children, 11 roads set for resurfacing, plus free workshops and two National Bowl festivals

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – City of Culture, Green Flags and A5 Closures

Jul 27, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – City of Culture, Green Flags and A5 Closures

Thousands shape MK’s City of Culture bid as Family Centres expand support, parks celebrate ten Green Flag years and A5 closures continue

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Free MK Dons Camp Spaces, Codebreaking and The Bowl

Jul 20, 2026

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5 min read

MK Digest – Free MK Dons Camp Spaces, Codebreaking and The Bowl

£1,000 grants open for local groups, plus an inclusive creative summer programme for children.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Free Summer Activities, Parks and Grants

Jul 13, 2026

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5 min read

MK Digest – Free Summer Activities, Parks and Grants

Free holiday activities and meals, Parks Trust events, business grants, Women Leaders Awards and local What’s On listings across Milton Keynes.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Awards, Breakfast Clubs and Hospice Gardens

Jul 6, 2026

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4 min read

MK Digest – Awards, Breakfast Clubs and Hospice Gardens

Charity awards, free school breakfast clubs, education honours, Willen Hospice updates and local events this week.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest Extra – Carnival at Newport Pagnell

Jul 3, 2026

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1 min read

MK Digest Extra – Carnival at Newport Pagnell

Newport Pagnell Carnival returns this weekend with a parade, live entertainment, family activities, food stalls and more.

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Dragon Boats, Junior Rangers and Outdoor Theatre

Jun 29, 2026

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5 min read

MK Digest – Dragon Boats, Junior Rangers and Outdoor Theatre

Dragon Boat Festival returns, Junior Rangers registrations open, outdoor theatre is back and Stowe celebrates Vanbrugh 300

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Agora Regeneration, Bletchley Park and Midnight Moo

Jun 22, 2026

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7 min read

MK Digest – Agora Regeneration, Bletchley Park and Midnight Moo

Work begins on Wolverton's Agora regeneration as Bletchley Park wins a national award and Midnight Moo returns

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Padel, Photography and Midsummer Festival

Jun 15, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – Padel, Photography and Midsummer Festival

New padel courts, a major photography exhibition, free festival events and more from across Milton Keynes

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Operation Mincemeat, Choirs and Family Fun

Jun 8, 2026

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4 min read

MK Digest – Operation Mincemeat, Choirs and Family Fun

A community choir festival, museum family day, Willen Hospice volunteers and an award-winning musical

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – College Success, NHS Screening & Summer Events

Jun 1, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – College Success, NHS Screening & Summer Events

MK College ranks among England's best, NHS lung screening returns, plus theatre shows, volunteering and local events

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – Aqua Parcs returns, hidden woodland art & half-term ideas

May 25, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – Aqua Parcs returns, hidden woodland art & half-term ideas

Aqua Parcs reopens at Willen Lake, a beloved Linford Wood sculpture trail could return, and half-term events begin across Milton Keynes

Toby Barnes

MK Digest – New town concerns, Love Willen & Milton Keynes’ Great Cereal Topple

May 18, 2026

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6 min read

MK Digest – New town concerns, Love Willen & Milton Keynes’ Great Cereal Topple

Plans for major expansion near Milton Keynes spark local concern, Love Willen returns to Willen Lake, and MK Food Bank launches a city-wide cereal challenge

Toby Barnes