Milton Keynes Heritage Association - MKHA - was formed in 1994 by a number of local heritage groups and museums, with the aim of encouraging and developing co-operation and co-ordination between organisations having an interest in heritage in Milton Keynes, North Buckinghamshire and South Northamptonshire. It also has a central role in promoting heritage, by working closely with Councils and other agencies.

SIZE

Since its foundation, MKHA has grown steadily in membership and influence. It now has around 40 member organisations, with a broad range of interests and a wide geographical coverage from Buckingham in the west, Olney in the east, Towcester in the north and Woburn Sands in the south. These organisations in turn represent several thousand individual members and volunteers. As a result of this growth, MKHA is now recognised as the main representative body of the heritage industry in the Milton Keynes area.

ACHIEVEMENTS

MKHA's most visible achievement to date has been the establishment in 2000-2001 of this website, incorporating ‘The Jewels of Milton Keynes’. The website was developed entirely by volunteer members, many of whom had no previous IT experience. Funding for training, equipment and project management was greatly assisted by a £40,000 grant from Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries (now the MLA - Museums, Libraries & Archives Council).

MKHA succeeded in raising funds for a similar project in 2002 to assist members in creating major extensions to the website, including documentary, photographic and oral records. Much gratitude must go to the Heritage Lottery Fund in providing the major funding for the project. As a result, the website has grown substantially and now has more historical information on-line than any equivalent geographical ‘footprint’ in the country. It has also been ‘hit’ more than a million times, at an average rate of 35-50,000 per month.

A bid for a third IT project, known as ‘Heritage on-line’ was made to the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2004, and was accepted. The new project is now underway, and will entail a major expansion of the website. Again the historical material will be developed by volunteers, who will be provided with training by the appointed project team. Importantly this project will start to tell the stories of community groups and cultures, who are more recent arrivals in the area. Already a number of different ethnic groups, are recording their own history, alongside the more traditional views of heritage. MKHA is also working in partnership with a Residents Heritage Project, which was initiated by Milton Keynes Council. Volunteers drawn from the Woughton, Kingsmead and New Bradwell areas will tell their own story, using heritage to help bring communities together. It is also hoped to capture some of the history of the older sporting clubs in the area, and some school history.

In addition to these major IT projects, MKHA organises training courses for its members to meet particular requirements, and allows opportunities to share good practice, information and equipment, to assist with the promotion of heritage to wider audiences.

MKHA works closely with Milton Keynes Council and other authorities and organisations, to promote heritage for all.

ORGANISATION

MKHA holds an AGM every September/October, at which Officers and an Executive Committee are elected. Full meetings of member organisations are held at least every quarter. Members receive other information periodically.

CONTACT

MKHA can be contacted by e-mail to the Secretary

Written Contact should be addressed to:

The Secretary, Jennifer A. Cooper, 6A, Glyn Street, New Bradwell, Milton Keynes MK13 0DD