Milton Keynes City Council has recognised 40 local organisations for meeting high standards of youth safety, awarding them the City Council’s Youth Safe Practice Mark – a scheme which launched in 2023.
The achievement highlights growing commitment across the city to creating safe, supportive spaces for children and young people.
The Youth Safe Practice Mark is only awarded to groups, clubs and organisations that meet a set of standards designed to keep young people safe. This includes having robust policies, trained staff and volunteers, and clear procedures that help young people feel confident, respected and protected.
Organisations with the mark also gain access to free training and can apply for additional funding, which has already helped local groups buy extra equipment, offer reduced cost sportswear for children, and provide access to club memberships and sports grounds so more young people can take part in activities.
Sports clubs, arts groups, faith organisations and community projects are among those that have achieved the mark so far, with many more currently working towards it.
Those wishing to gain the Safe Practice Mark need to fill out an online application which is reviewed by a specialist panel. Successful clubs must re-apply annually to continue using the mark.
The City Council continues to offer guidance and training to help local organisations meet the criteria and maintain high standards of practice.
Landmark partnership
Milton Keynes City Council has signed a new agreement with major developers and landowners to strengthen Milton Keynes’ national role as a provider of homes, infrastructure, jobs and well-planned communities.
The Memorandum of Understanding marks a commitment to work together following the recommendation of the New Towns Task Force that Milton Keynes form part of the UK’s next generation of new towns.
By presenting a united voice, the Milton Keynes New Town Partnership aims to secure investment, improve infrastructure and create growth that benefits residents and businesses across Milton Keynes.
Milton Keynes has become one of the country’s most dynamic and fastest growing cities, home to major national employers, a thriving tech and digital sector, and a long history of innovation. The city continues to attract talent and investment, building on the forward-thinking ideas that shaped it from the start. This new partnership is designed to help Milton Keynes build on its success to ensure future growth is well-planned, sustainable and improves opportunities for local people.
The agreement brings the City Council together with Berkeley, the Bristol Society of Merchant Venturers, Gallagher, Hallam Land, Milton Keynes Development Partnership, Taylor Wimpey and Urban&Civic. Together, these developers and landowners control land for around 40,000 new homes and the infrastructure that will support them, helping to create the strong, vibrant communities of the future.
The partners will align plans to make future development work harder for the city, including supporting high quality and sustainable regeneration in the city centre and strengthening local skills and supply chains.
The group will also promote Milton Keynes on major national platforms, including a coordinated presence at the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum.
Early work will include engaging with government, preparing a coordinated presence at UKREiiF, and developing joint initiatives with local colleges and training providers to support skills and employment.
Find out more at the website here.
To find out more about the Youth Safe Practice Mark email YPSafePractice@milton-keynes.gov.uk or complete an online application at the link here.
Cllr Pete Marland – Leader at Milton Keynes City Council
