The Milton Keynes Collection – a new partnership between Bletchley Park, the City Discovery Centre, the Living Archive, Milton Keynes Museum and the Cowper & Newton Museum in Olney – is the group behind the film The Making of Milton Keynes, which premiered this month.
It says that its heritage is vital to the success of Milton Keynes and has called on business to support the initiative.
Bletchley Park chief executive Ian Standen said: “There are numerous ways for business to engage with us such as sponsoring an area of our work, providing us with their expertise, acting as ambassadors for heritage, using our sites for team building and staff volunteering. The list is endless.”
The Milton Keynes Collection partnership aims to raise the profile of historic Milton Keynes and to encourage more organisations and individuals to be involved.
The partnership has also published a Heritage Means Business brochure, which outlines the future heritage priorities and ways in which business can be involved.
Stewart Elsmore, chair of the Association of Milton Keynes Hoteliers, said: “Heritage is extremely important for the local economy because it brings in visitors which creates jobs. It gives depth to Milton Keynes, and gravitas, and therefore credibility.”
The film The Making of Milton Keynes has been put together by specialist company Jump Off The Screen Productions, based at Furzton Lake. Funding came from Milton Keynes Arts & Heritage Alliance and the Milton Keynes Community Foundation.
Mr Standen said: “We wanted to make a film to show why we believe heritage is so important to the success and quality of life of Milton Keynes, and the film is also a fantastic advert for our city.”
For a copy of the Heritage Means Business brochure, e-mail heritage@milton-keynes.gov.uk. For more on the Milton Keynes Collection, visit www.mkcollection.co.uk
