MK College out in force to support MK Can event for local food bank

Staff and students from Milton Keynes College Group came together to support the MK Can event on 16^th October at Campbell Park, in support of Milton Keynes Food Bank. Around 100 businesses, 20 schools, 30 churches and faith groups, 50 community organisations and 25 charities from Milton Keynes were all involved with a target of collecting and positioning over 100,000 cans of food along a 10km line through the park. The event was awarded a Guinness World Record for the longest unbroken line of cans of food, with the tins then being collected and taken over to the Food Bank afterwards. 

The College Group and its Brasserie Restaurant sponsored two sections of the 10km course, with staff volunteering on the day to place the donated tins along the course. 93 students from the College’s Public Services courses also helped at the event by carrying the tins to the different sections, marshalling, and showing supporters to their areas of the course. 30 Music students from the College also performed throughout the day to entertain those taking part and 25 Photography students were on hand to photograph the event. 

The College was required to collect 700 cans for the two sections it sponsored, but on the day had far exceeded that number with over 1,800 cans donated by staff and students. All of the cans collected on the day will go to supporting the Food Bank’s service users, with the total of over 100,000 being enough for six months’ worth of food supplies for the communities of Milton Keynes. 

Rebecca Myrie, Head of Community Engagement at the College, commented: “What an incredible event! When the Food Bank approached us earlier this year about the idea of a World Record attempt, we were very excited to take part but we couldn’t have imagined what was achieved today. To see thousands of people from across Milton Keynes come together to support the Food Bank was really amazing.” 

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of support we’ve had from colleagues and learners in donating cans for this event. But the highlight has to be the incredible effort we saw from our students on the day. From music students performing to an amazing standard, to our photography students capturing special moments and our Public Services students being so helpful to everyone involved, they really did themselves and the wider College proud. Plus, I hope that the students will have made special memories and gained skills that they will carry with them into their courses and beyond.” 

The feedback from the colleagues and students involved in the event has been overwhelmingly positive. For instance, Mark Davis, Course Team Leader for Public Services at Milton Keynes College, commented: “It was amazing to be part of something so beneficial to the community and a privilege to part of a world record. When it was announced that we had broken the record it took a minute or two to sink in because the total number of cans collected was staggering. The students have said that they feel it was an amazing opportunity and they were proud to be a part of the proceedings. The organisation that went into this event was immense and I would like to say a personal thanks to Louisa and the team at the Food Bank for inviting us to be a part of it”. 

Rachel Glass – Course Team Leader for Photography – and Chris Gascoigne – Photography Lecturer – added: “The whole of the Photography department had a wonderful day at MK Can. All the learners turned up with great enthusiasm and cameras at the ready. They all had a chance to practice their location photography skills while having fun at the event; and they were a credit to the College for their behaviour and professionalism. Plus, the pictures they have taken are superb. The sun was shining on a great day with a Guinness World Record to boot”. 

For more information on the work the College Group does to support our communities, visit Working With The Community – MK College.