Charities in Milton Keynes get £1.4million funding boost thanks to city council

More than £1.4 million in grant funding was given to city charities last year, courtesy of Milton Keynes City Council.

Dozens of charities and voluntary groups have benefited from the grants which is on top of funding the city council provides annually to local charities and organisations to deliver services on its behalf.

Offset Projects is one of the charities which received a grant. Tara Page, co-director of Offset Project, said: “We are grateful to Milton Keynes City Council who have supported our programme with young communities since launch. This generous support has enabled under 25s in MK to thrive through opportunities including the city’s first youth-led public art commission.”

An estimated 2,400 people living in Milton Keynes have dementia, with the number expected to jump to 4,240 by 2030. Milton Keynes City Council has given the charity Alzheimer’s MK £52,000 which it uses to provide tailored support to people with dementia and their carers and families.

“This funding has paid in part for four Dementia Advisers – one full time and three part-time – who support people with dementia and their carers. Dementia Advisers provide personalised information, practical advice and emotional support; offering help and hope to those living with dementia in Milton Keynes,” said Cat Medley, area manager of Alzheimer’s MK.

MK Food Bank gives out more than 26,000 food parcels a year, and requests have grown by more than 40% since the start of the cost-of-living crisis. The charity received grant to extend the number of parcels and top up shops it could offer local people.

Louisa Hobbs, operations manager for MK Food Bank, sated: “MK City Council’s generous grant of £80k to support our services this winter has been a real lifeline to the increasing number of MK residents who are struggling to afford basic essentials.”Councillor Jane Carr, Cabinet Member for Tackling Social Equalities, said: “We have some fantastic charities and groups in Milton Keynes, staffed by amazingly dedicated teams and volunteers.

"You might not think of your council as a major funder of the voluntary sector, but in fact we help dozens of worthy charities and community groups every year and the grants we give help those charities make an enormous difference at a grass roots level.”