Community action/Buckinghamshire

The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across Buckinghamshire.

News

Networks and sustainability initiatives

• Low-Impact Living Initiative (based in Buckinghamshire), dedicated to helping protect the global environment by promoting sustainable alternatives to various aspects of everyday life. Lili have produced a number of information sheets which are available as PDFs.
• MK:Smart, bringing together data, enterprise and communities to transform energy, transport and water use in Milton Keynes. "Have you got a great idea for our city? We want your innovative ideas and you to help develop these ideas into citizen-led projects. If you have an idea or want to have your say on other people's ideas visit www.ourmk.org"
• Transition MK
• Transition Town High Wycombe
• Citizens:mk, a growing alliance of diverse community groups – churches, mosques, schools and community associations – working together for a better Milton Keynes.
• MK Peace and Justice Network

UK and international events

UK events

UK community action events

Global or international events

2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events

Buckinghamshire video

Community and voluntary action

Community Action: MK answers enquiries for and about the voluntary and community sector in Milton Keynes. "We also provide information about all aspects of running a voluntary or community group, and can signpost you to other support and information. Community Action: MK also provides information and support about the city's growth, and will be looking to support the new communities moving into the city."

Community energy

CAPE, Community Action Platform for Energy project will develop an interactive website designed to assess energy use for individuals and communities in Milton Keynes - Wolverton Community Energy, community owned energy hub rooted in historical Wolverton, a fragment of Victorian history in the heart of Milton Keynes.

Housing and land

• Collaborative Housing, hub and collaborative effort to support the development of a pipeline of community-led housing projects across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. 'added 16:31, 17 December 2021 (UTC)

see also: Towards a more democratic and climate friendly way of meeting housing need across England

Sustainable transport activism

• Redways, Milton Keynes, 200 miles plus of shared-use paths, known as Redways. The traffic-free network covers most of the city estates with some Redways extending out to connect to the older towns. link checked 10:43, 28 December 2024 (UTC)

A large part of the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, runs through the south of the county and attracts many walkers and cyclists from London.

Waterways

The Grand Union Canal runs through the county from Milton Keynes down to Marsworth, passing in and out of Bedfordshire on the way. After this it leaves and enters Hertfordshire. At Marsworth two branches separated, one to Aylesbury and one to Wendover. The Aylesbury branch remains active to this day, whilst the Wendover arm was closed over a century ago. However it is now being restored by a volunteer trust who have reopened it as far as Little Tring. It is presently being restored back to Aston Clinton (see trust website).

• Aylesbury Canal Society,
• Wendover Arm Trust restoring the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal

Walking

Footpaths in Buckinghamshire, (category)

Cycling activism

From Wikipedia:Milton Keynes redway system

The Milton Keynes redway system (locally known as redways) is an over 200 miles (320 kilometres) network of shared use paths for cyclists and pedestrians in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is generally surfaced with red tarmac, and criss-crosses most of the city.

Some of these redways run next to the grid roads and local roads, with underpasses or bridges where they intersect major roads. Others run through park land and along the floodplain of the Great Ouse and its tributaries.

Construction of the redway commenced in the 1970s with the start of the construction of the "new city". By 1980 it was the largest urban cycleway system in the UK with 22 miles (35.4 km) in use.

Biodiversity

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust

News archive

About Buckinghamshire

From Wikipedia:Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated Bucks) is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the east, Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, and Oxfordshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Milton Keynes.

The county has an area of 1,874 km² (724 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 884,656 in 2024. Besides Milton Keynes, which is in the north-east, the largest settlements are in the centre and south of the county and include Aylesbury, High Wycombe, and Chesham. For local government purposes the county comprises two unitary authority areas, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. The county historically had slightly different borders, and included the towns of Slough and Eton. It is one of the home counties.

The Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, occupy the south of the county and contain its highest point, Haddington Hill (267 m (876 ft)). The Chilterns are the source of the River Ouzel, which flows across the lowland Vale of Aylesbury in the north of the county and through Milton Keynes before meeting the River Great Ouse at Newport Pagnell. The Thames forms part of the county's southern boundary.

Notable service amenities in the county are Pinewood Film Studios, Dorney rowing lake and part of Silverstone race track on the Northamptonshire border. Many national companies have head offices or major centres in Milton Keynes. Heavy industry and quarrying is limited, with agriculture predominating after service industries.

See also

• Towards a more democratic and climate friendly way of meeting housing need across England