Milton Keynes food bank breaks world record for cans in a row

A food bank has officially broken the world record for the number of food cans lined up in a row.

MK Food Bank said the 102,447 cans laid out in Milton Keynes would "see us through the winter".

Guinness World Records adjudicator Jack Brockbank said it gave him "great pleasure" to recognise a new title, declaring to the crowds: "You are officially amazing!"

About 250 organisations were involved in the MK Can event at Campbell Park.

The previous record for a continuous line of food cans was set in 2014, at 44,966.

Operations Manager of the MK Food Bank Louisa Hobbs told BBC Three Counties Radio beforehand that they were hoping to more than double that number to set a new record.

"We're wanting to get a massive amount of food to really stock us up through the winter," she said, explaining the reason behind the record attempt.

"If we get to that 100k can mark, it will see us through the winter at the food bank and we'll be able to support families through the winter and into the spring."

The MK Food Bank said it had seen demand for its emergency food parcels increase by nearly 50% in the 2021/22 winter.

In the first half of 2023, they distributed more than 13,500 parcels.

Many other local organisations helped to collect the cans and lay them out around Campbell Park.

John Moffatt from the MK Rose Trust had the honour of placing the first can.

"It's taken us 18 months to get it organised, but I'm so pleased that so many people have turned out and adopted this effort," he said.

Talking about the play on words of MK Can, he said: "It's one of those things in Milton Keynes, we can do things."

Speaking after the record was officially confirmed, Louise Hobbs said: "It's been absolutely incredible.

"There have been moments when I was more stressed than I've ever been in my entire life, but we've got it, everything was absolutely by the book, and we absolutely smashed it out the park!"

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