MK Dons continued their pre-season preparations with a 2-0 win over Brackley Town at St James Park.

Youngster Simon Troso saw an early shot deflected in by Will Collar, before substitute Aaron Collins grabbed a second for the visitors late on.

The match saw both sides gain minutes ahead of busy campaigns to come, with Brackley preparing to make their debut in the National League and MK Dons aiming to go again after a disappointing 2024/25 season.

The match represented the Dons’ third pre-season friendly, with Paul Warne’s side having previously lost 2-1 to Scottish side St Mirren in a training camp in Spain before winning 6-0 away at Hitchin Town at the weekend.

They took on a Brackley side who had previously held League One Northampton Town to a 0-0 draw in their first home pre-season friendly.

MK Dons took the lead with 7 minutes on the clock. Space opened up for Troso, whose ball into the box was deflected in. Credit was initially given as an own goal by a Brackley defender, but midfielder Collar later said in a post-game interview that he took the decisive touch to put the ball in the back of the net.

A busy half saw the Dons look likelier to get the game’s next goal without creating a substantial quantity of clear-cut chances, while Brackley were at least testing the visitor’s backline.

Home goalkeeper Cameron Gregory made good stops to thwart Aaron Nemane and Kane Thompson-Sommers, before a great chance came the visitors’ way just after the half hour when Jonathan Leko struck the post.

Less than a minute after Leko’s near-miss, Brackley came close themselves as Morgan Roberts’ long-range strike flew past Connal Trueman and struck the post.

Roberts would have a strike denied by Trueman just before half-time and the Dons keeper was in action again after the break when he thwarted Justin Donawa’s first-time strike.

The flow of the game would be disrupted when both sides opted to make mass changes on the hour mark, with the visitors making 11 changes and Brackley also making substantial alterations to their squad.

Danny Waldron saw Brackley’s best opportunity kept out by Craig MacGillivray, while at the other end, Luke Offord would see a strike blocked.

In the end, the Dons found a second goal in the 88th minute. Collins, who’d scored a hat-trick at Hitchin at the weekend, was able to place a strike into the bottom corner.

MK Dons continue their pre-season preparations on Saturday with simultaneous matches. One squad will travel to Dunstable to face last season’s League Two champions Doncaster Rovers, while the other squad will play Wealdstone FC.

As for Brackley, they continue their preparations for the new season with a trip to Chelmsford City on Saturday.

Milton Keynes City Council have announced they will be part of a campaign to raise awareness of illegal money lenders and loan sharks.

Joining forces with Thames Valley Police and the Stop Loan Sharks team, the events featuring the support of the City Council will take the form of a series of events to raise awareness of illegal money lenders and offering support to residents.

During the Stop Loan Sharks Awareness Week (14 – 20 July), events are being held in community locations across the city to help people understand the dangers of borrowing from illegal lenders and highlighting safe, legal routes to financial support. The Stop Loan Sharks team, joined by mascot Sid the Shark and representatives from partner organisations will be on hand to offer advice and confidential guidance.

Events are being held at the following locations:

• Tuesday, July 15 – 10am to 1pm NatWest Central Milton Keynes branch then 2pm to 4pm Sofea Larder, Hedgerows
• Wednesday, July 16 – 11am to 12.30pm Sofea Larder, Mead Centre, Newport Pagnell then 1.30pm to 3pm, Sainsbury’s Olney
• Friday, July 18 – 11am to 12.30pm Sofea Larder, Moorlands then 1.30pm to 3pm ASDA, Bletchley

Loan sharks are illegal lenders who operate without regulation, meaning they’re not bound by rules designed to protect borrowers. They often target vulnerable people and use tactics such as refusing to provide paperwork, taking personal items like bank cards or passports as security, adding hidden charges so debts never shrink and using intimidation or threats when payments can’t be made.

Cabinet Member responsible for Community Safety, Cllr Mick Legg, said, “Illegal money lenders prey on people who are already struggling, trapping them in a cycle of fear and mounting debt. These events are about raising awareness, offering support and make sure people know where to turn for help.”

Anyone affected by illegal lending can access confidential support by calling the Stop Loan Sharks helpline on 0300 555 2222 or visiting www.stoploansharks.co.uk.

Milton Keynes Development Partnership and Milton Keynes City Council have confirmed a new large-scale installation will take pride of place of the newly renovated Station Square.

British-Nigerian artist and designer Yinka Ilori MBE, known for dynamic and playful work, has been commissioned to create a large scale artwork to fill the Station Square outside Central Milton Keynes railway station.

The installation is entitled ‘Walk With Your Dreams’ and will be integrated into Station Square’s flooring.

MK City Council said in a statement, “Inspired by Nigerian textile patterns, it aims to make the expansive space more welcoming, sociable and inspiring, while reflecting the character of the city. The installation will also help to direct pedestrians arriving at the station towards the two underpasses that lead from Station Square to the city centre, and this was an important part of MKDP’s brief.”

The title of the work references the vision that underpinned the New Town movement that created Milton Keynes in 1967 and the ambition to achieve city status, which was granted as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

‘Walk With Your Dreams’ will open in a ceremony taking place on Thursday 2 October with music and other performances between 4pm and 7.30pm.

It will be in place for several years, maintained by funding from MKDP and Section 106 public art contributions. An additional celebratory event will be delivered in collaboration with four local schools, the African Diaspora Foundation and Milton Keynes Arts Centre prior to the opening as part of Black History Month.

Ilori has taken inspiration from the symmetry and geometry of Milton Keynes’ US-style grid system, which famously makes it one of the most navigable cities in the UK and interprets this through the lens of textile patterns created by the traditional Yoruban dyeing technique, Àdìrẹ.

Ilori said, “With a thriving Nigerian community and growing arts scene, Milton Keynes is a location that aligns with my values of bringing art to wider audiences and to fostering connection and community. Despite the fast-paced environment of the station, I hope the artwork will inspire people to stop for a moment of contemplation and inner focus before moving on with their busy days. That’s what art can do for us – take us out of the everyday, allow us to think about things that are bigger than the self, where we come from and where we’re going, and bring us together on that journey.”

As well as the installation, MKDP has arranged an extensive planting scheme for Station Square with species chosen for their aesthetic appeal, biodiversity benefit, and low-maintenance requirements.

Adam Sciberras, Special Projects Director, Milton Keynes Development Partnership, said, “Yinka has an exemplary record of developing and delivering exceptional public realm works which respond to place, community and context. This project is about setting out what people can expect from Milton Keynes – Yinka’s work will be a great introduction to our thriving, young, innovative, diverse and sustainable city and the vibrancy, enthusiasm and biodiversity that people experience here.”

Cllr Shanika Mahendran, Cabinet Member for Planning and Placemaking, Milton Keynes City Council, added, “To ‘Walk With Your Dreams’ is an attitude that’s uniquely fitting to Milton Keynes, whether you’re talking about the ingenuity that imagined the New Town’s development in the first place or the energy and bold ideas that fuel our thriving city today. Yinka’s artwork will be a playful way of expressing that energy and optimism and will be a fitting welcome for everyone arriving in Station Square, the gateway to our city centre.”

Milton Keynes City Council has launched a new initiative designed to try and prevent homelessness by offering early support to landlords and tenants to help resolve issues before a notice is served.

The new ‘Call Before You Serve’ initiative is designed to prevent homelessness, reduce the financial and emotional cost of legal proceedings and promote long-term stable tenancies. It is aimed at landlords, tenants and housing professionals who are facing eviction proceedings.

In a statement, MK City Council said that the ‘Call Before You Serve’ service, “offers completely free mediation to help landlords and tenants resolve disputes early. The service connects tenants to financial support and provides landlords with tailored advice about their legal responsibilities and alternative solutions to serving notice. If staying isn’t possible, City Council colleagues will assess the situation and assist with finding alternative accommodation.”

Housing professionals and frontline services can also refer clients for early support, ensuring access to rent advice, mediation and financial help.

Further information is available on their website. An online referral form is available on the webpage for both landlords and tenants. Once submitted, the city council will assess the situation, identify the reasons for the referral and put together a plan that brings all parties together, which may include practical support such as access to financial assistance to help sustain the tenancy.

Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Ed Hume, said, “No one wants to see a tenancy end in eviction. By offering early advice and support, we can help people stay in their homes, prevent homelessness and support landlords to find solutions. We’re encouraging both landlords and tenants to talk to us first.”