MK Food Bank will be attempting to smash the current World Record for the longest line of cans of food.
The World Record attempt will take place on World Food Day, Monday 16th October, in and around Campbell Park.
The local charity is aiming for an ambitious target of 132,000 cans over a 10km line and is mobilising the whole of Milton Keynes to help achieve this.
The route will be divided into 25 metre-long sections, which businesses, schools, local councils and community groups can sign up to adopt.
By supporting a section of the line, any MK-based business or group can be part of this once in a lifetime event, helping the Food Bank support thousands of households in crisis, and putting Milton Keynes on the world map.
A number of high-profile supporters have already committed to join MK Food Bank, but they have room to welcome many more.
As well as business and community groups taking part, the public will also be invited to play their part by funding 5, 10 or 20 cans to add to the line.
In return, they will be able to participate in a celebration event on the day, where they can “walk the line” and enjoy a range of entertainments along the way.
The public giving page can be found here.
If successful, this initiative will provide over half of the canned food the Food Bank needs to support families and individuals in our local community for an entire year, forming a large part of their winter contingency plan to cope with the ongoing cost of living crisis in our community.
As a whole Milton Keynes effort, we’ll also attract wide-reaching, positive publicity for Milton Keynes, and put our new city on the international map.
Find out everything you need to know about the record attempt here: MK CAN - A World Record Attempt - MK Food Bank and then sign up using the MK Can online form before the deadline of 15th September.
About Milton Keynes Food Bank
MK Food Bank has supported the local community with emergency food parcels since 2004. The longer-term effects of Covid and the subsequent cost of living crisis have led to increased demand for food support.
In the first half of 2023, MK Food Bank have already given out over 15,000 food parcels and equivalents – this is 50% more than the same period last year and has now reached the same levels as the peak of Covid lockdown. For those experiencing longer term financial hardship, their network of top-up shops provides an alternative route to food parcels and aims to encourage and support independence on a step-by-step basis.
MK Food Bank estimate that they have supported around 1 in 25 households in Milton Keynes over the last 18 months. This represents at least one child in every class, at least one household in every street and possibly at least one in most workplaces.
Every week, about 50 people are contacting them for the very first time. People who have never had to ask for help before.
And as the cost of food rises the food bank's donations are sadly going down, they're now only receiving around half of what they need to supply this demand, meaning that they are having to buy thousands of pounds worth of food every month.
