What's On

A major grant of £60,000 is set to help Milton Keynes Museum tell the full story of this area’s past. The grant, from The Headley Trust – one of 17 grant-making trusts established by the Sainsbury family – will be used to display the city’s rich archaeology and use it to tell nationally significant stories from a local perspective. Until now, much of the treasure trove of objects uncovered when Milton Keynes was being built, has been in storage or in other museums. The creation of two new galleries at the museum – ancient and new Milton Keynes – is..

A Wolverton business has won a national award in recognition of its work in making Wolverton a better place to live. Bridgman & Bridgman won the Best Community Partnership with Business award at the Groundwork Community Awards, hosted by the charity in the Houses of Parliament in London on Thursday 22 November. Groundwork, a national charity who works across the UK to support communities to change places and change lives, launched its awards in 2017 to honour small community groups making a big difference to everyone’s quality of life and to celebrate and reward groups who often get little recognition..

Businesses and organisations from Milton Keynes put their grey matter to the test when they took part in Brain Game, the gala quiz night held by Willen Hospice. The event raised almost £15,000 in support of the charity. Twenty teams battled it out over eight rounds in subjects ranging from arts and travel to sport and music. In a close competition, it was Workforce Software Ltd who showed they knew their stuff, as their team Workforce Warriors took the champions trophy home. The event was held in the exclusive Mercedes Benz dealership in Kingston, which underwent a glittering transformation for..

Businesses in Milton Keynes are once again signing up to take part in the Franklins £50 Challenge and use their entrepreneurial skills to raise funds for Willen Hospice. In January 2019 the challenge will begin with each team receiving £50 from Franklins Solicitors. Each team will have eight weeks to invest and re-invest that money to raise as much as possible. Hospice. Amy Shaw, Corporate Fundraiser said “In 2018, teams raised an incredible £32,000 for the Hospice through quiz nights, bake sales, lunchtime yoga and dress down days. We celebrated their achievements at an awards ceremony where the challenge champions..

The new MK Gallery in Milton Keynes, designed by 6a architects, in close collaboration with artists Gareth Jones and Nils Norman, will open on 16 March 2019. The new MK Gallery seeks to capture the original spirit of Milton Keynes, reflecting the natural world in its polished stainless-steel exterior surfaces inspired by the city’s original grid and the geometries of the adjacent Campbell Park. It will provide spaces for major exhibitions both contemporary and historical, films, music, performance, family events, workshops, and social spaces, a place that puts a clear emphasis on community engagement, and democratic access to the best..

The magic of Christmas was brought to life at intu Milton Keynes on Saturday when the city centre was transformed into a glittering winter wonderland, lit up by thousands of sparkling lights. The free event, hosted by MyMiltonKeynes the local Business Improvement District, together with partners, at intu Milton Keynes, drew huge crowds gathered to begin the countdown to Christmas with the spectacular lights-switch on. Families enjoyed a festive feast of yuletide cheer, with music, dance and a laser display that sent everybody’s Christmas spirit soaring. Ivan and Emma from Heart breakfast presented the seasonal extravaganza, which marked the opening..

Chestnuts roasting in a blacksmith's forge, yuletide carols around the fire tiny tots with their eyes all aglow There's one place in MK you should go! It's the most wonderful time of the year, and Milton Keynes Museum wants to share a little festive cheer with you at the return of its popular A Victorian Christmas event. Step back 100 years and enjoy all of the sparkle, fun, warmth and wonder that the era has to offer. This might be Santa's busiest time of year, but the man in red will be in situ at the museum, hard at work..

Last week the UK marked 100 years since the first women gained the right to vote by celebrating Parliament week. Schools across Milton Keynes took part in activities to find out more about our democracy. One school received a special guest. On Friday (16th Nov) Giffard Park Primary School hosted the Secretary of State for Education Damian Hinds MP. The Secretary of State was given a tour by two members of the School Council. He joined few classes to see their Parliament Week activities which included voting on whether ‘it was fair to be given homework’ a shock result saw..

The Parks Trust, the self-financing charity that looks after over 6,000 acres of green space across Milton Keynes, wants to encourage people to get out and explore the city’s parkland this National Tree Week, which runs from Saturday 24th November to Sunday 2nd December 2018. To celebrate the many varied and beautiful trees that feature across the Milton Keynes landscape, The Parks Trust has devised a series of activities for people of all ages to enjoy. A route for a self-guided walk has been created, which covers several of the central parks, including Campbell Park, Newlands and the Tree Cathedral...

Leading Milton Keynes magazine MK Pulse has been nominated in the ‘Best Customer Service’ category as part of the highly prestigious SME MK & Buckinghamshire Business Awards. In a category decided purely by a public vote, the winning business will ensure it exceeds customers’ expectations before, during and after using their services, invest in building long term relationships and provide a service that is consistently outstanding. Kerry Lewis-Stevenson, MK Pulse magazine’s editor, said: “We pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service, so to be nominated in this category is absolutely fantastic. Especially as one of our customer’s entered us for..

The Willen Hospice annual Christmas service of remembrance, Lights of Love, will return to The Ridgeway Centre in Wolverton Mill on Saturday 1 December. The event, which starts at 3pm, is a poignant opportunity for people who have lost someone close, to reflect on and celebrate their life. Visitors are invited to mark the occasion by adding their loved one’s names into the Hospice Books of Remembrance. Children are invited to decorate stars to hang on the Hospice Christmas trees, or take home to treasure. The service will be conducted by the Hospice’s new Chaplain, Martha McInnes, and will include..

Santa Dash, the iconic Willen Hospice festive fundraiser is set to return on Sunday 16 December. The event will see hundreds of people dressed as Father Christmas flock to Willen Lake to walk, jog or sprint the 1.2 mile Santa Dash. Starting outside the Hospice at 10.30am, (off Willen Lake North) the event is open people of all ages, and dogs are welcome to take part too. Sarah Sweet-Rowley, Head of Events and Community Fundraising at Willen Hospice, said “Our Santa Dash has become an annual favourite; a really special event that we know our community looks forward to each..

This year’s city centre Christmas Light Switch On will take place on Saturday 17th November and is set to follow previous years by spectacularly lighting up the city for the festive period and marking the start of the official countdown to Christmas. The free event will take place at the front of intu Milton Keynes from 4pm with the switch on happening at 5pm. Ivan and Emma from Heart Breakfast will be hosting the event which will feature live entertainment as they build up to the big countdown. We’re promised Father Christmas will make a quick stop in MK from..

Milton Keynes Play Association (MKPA) are renown for selling unwanted items from their Scrapstore in Kiln Farm, Milton Keynes. Their philosophy is to avoid waste and recycle and repurpose wherever possible. No surprise then to discover that MKPA have successfully rehomed their own ‘waste’ product, the spare pumpkins left over from their half-term play sessions. Pumpkins were donated to the volunteers who cook for The Bus Shelter MK, the bus for the homeless. Instead of being composted, or going to landfill, they will be used to provide much needed meals. Michele Clark, Play Coordinator, MKPA said, ‘We were very keen..

Ceremonies, parades, commemoration benches, exhibitions, silent soldiers, Tommies and knitted poppies and wreaths will all be commemorating Armistice Day and the WW1 Centenary in Milton Keynes this November. Communities and Churches will be taking part in the national commemoration, ‘Battle’s Over, with church bells ‘Ringing out for Peace’ and beacons being lit across the UK, including Wolverton, Emberton, Olney, Campbell Park and Bow Brickhill. ‘Silent Soldiers and Tommies’ have also been placed around the city, standing as a tribute to the WW1 Centenary and those who’ve lost their lives or been affected by war. A full list of events can..