Leap joined over 40 partners from across Milton Keynes on 14th and 15th January at a two‑day Place Investment Co‑design Workshop, convened by the Milton Keynes Place Expansion Partnership (MK PEP). The event brought together representatives from local government, health, education, voluntary and community organisations to deepen collaboration and shape the next phase of place‑based investment in the city.
Guided by Local Government Association (LGA) and Sport England facilitators Chris Perks and Faeeza Vaid MBE, the sessions drew on learning from Sport England’s Local Delivery Pilots and explored what genuine system change looks like when driven by resident voice, community insight, and long‑term partnership working.
Discussions focused on improving physical activity levels by addressing broader determinants including housing, food, wellbeing, and connection to others – challenges raised by residents in early insight work.
Across the two days, participants worked together on:
- Understanding local strengths, challenges, and assets
- Reviewing community insight, including work led by the Open University
- Exploring community‑centred approaches to designing change
- Identifying opportunities for system‑wide action
- Prioritising shared areas of work for the next phase
Participants also reflected on the significant progress made during the Discovery Phase: establishment of the MK PEP Board, securing £273,000 of initial investment, recruiting a local delivery team, commissioning systems and insight research, and launching “test and learn” activity within estates.
Mark Ormerod, Chair of the MK Place Expansion Partnership Board, reflected on the strong collaborative spirit across both days, noting the “genuine commitment to understanding what it will take to create meaningful change for residents.”
Partners will now continue working together as the MK PEP Board develops a full application for Sport England’s Place‑Based Investment, to be submitted in early Summer 2026. This investment aims to support long‑term, community‑led change across the 11 estate areas of Milton Keynes.
Photos from the event
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- Group of people standing
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- Small groups of partners talking and sharing ideas during an in‑person workshop.
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- Group of people seated at tables looking towards speaker at front of room
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- Room of people in conversations, focus on two people speaking to each other
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- Participants seated at tables taking part in a collaborative workshop with a presentation on screen.
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- Facilitated group discussion with participants writing and talking together in a meeting room.
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- Two workshop participants standing at a flipchart, reviewing notes and discussing ideas together.
