What's On

Volunteers’ Week is an annual celebration of the contribution made by millions of people countrywide who give their time to support others. Ahead of this year’s event between June 1-7, Pulse’s Sammy Jones looked at why we should all try and give back to our community. Most of us would like to give a little time to make things better for individuals or charities if we could, right? But time is money, and money is tight. Pretty sure some of you are reading this and thinking, ‘I would, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day.’ But by making..

You’ll can’t fail to have noticed that our monarch is celebrating a very special milestone this year, and the nation will join Her Majesty the Queen in marking her Platinum Jubilee between June 2 & 5. Here is a peek at some of the events happening across Milton Keynes to celebrate. Thursday, June 2 Things will be taking a fiery turn at Milton Keynes Museum with the lighting of its beacon.  Gates open at 7pm, and the beacon will be lit at 9.15pm. Entry is free. > In CMK, The Parks Trust will host a Beacon Lighting Ceremony at 9.45pm..

Willen Hospice invite you to take a trip down memory lane on Saturday April 23rd as they collect material for a historic documentary film.   Willen Hospice and Living Archive MK are inviting members of the public to a ‘Down Memory Lane’ event to reminisce and share memories of the role Willen Hospice has played in the lives of people of Milton Keynes.  The informal event, which will take place at Willen Pavilion on 23rd April from 10am to 2pm, will gather stories and information from members of the public to feed into the development of a documentary film which Willen..

Long considered a gardener’s best friend, their numbers are dwindling and our spiky hedgehogs and hoglets are now the ones in need of friends. Luckily for those who get into trouble in this neck of the woods, Animals in Need are dedicated to their cause, as Pulse’s Sammy Jones discovered... Having more than 200 patients needing to be looked after every day would be enough to give anyone a headache – not least when they are decidedly prickly in nature. But Lizzie Collins doesn’t have a problem with those who are spending their winter in her care – they are..

Creative activities celebrating Milton Keynes and The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee The Stables is inviting people to be part of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant through Celebrate Milton Keynes, a series of creative activities inspired by Milton Keynes. The Pageant will take place on Sunday 5 June to honour Her Majesty The Queen as the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee with 70 years of service. Artistic performers, dancers, musicians, military personnel, key workers and volunteers will unite to tell the story of The Queen’s 70-year reign in an awe-inspiring festival of creativity. The London-based Pageant will combine pomp..

FOR HIM Are you looking for the ultimate gift solution for your nearest and dearest this Christmas? A gift which is good quality, and will stand the test of time? Something which is exclusive and specific that fits like a glove regardless of the wearers shape or size? Get the perfect gift certificate this Christmas from Saint Crispin Bespoke Menswear for your loved one colleague or yourself! Choose from a range of over 100 fabrics for a Made to measure suit from £650- £850. This is highly competitive when comparing off the peg, high Street Brands such as Boss, Canali..

Princess Goes To The Butterfly Museum has been called a supergroup, and many would agree. The line-up is frontman Michael C. Hall (star of Dexter and Six Feet Under), multi-instrumentalist Matt Katz-Bowen (Blondie) and drummer Peter Yanowitz (The Wallflowers). And even if they mightn’t like the word supergroup, they’ve definitely honed a super group. They spoke with Pulse’s Sammy Jones about their multifaceted music. It just so happens that we are speaking with the band on the day that Showtime favourite Dexter returns to the small screen after eight years away. Critics and fans are buzzing. The man behind our..

There’s always a good sprinkling of events and activities going on in the run up to Christmas, so much so by the time Christmas Day arrives many of us can feel a little worn out. With that in mind, the elves at MK Gallery have made plans for visitors so they can relax and enjoy that special time before the 25th of December. The Gallery will be ringing in Christmas cheer on Friday 26 November when visitors can glide into the festive spirit at the first MK Gallery Late when the exhibition, shop and bar will remain open after hours and Lonely Numbers will..

Over the last couple of weeks the news has been flooded with articles regarding sustainability on the international stage. Climate targets, carbon emissions, and extreme weather events have focussed everyone’s minds, leading us to question what our own impact is. World leaders have gathered in Glasgow to attend the 2021 Climate Change Conference (COP26), following its postponement last November due to Covid-19. Meanwhile, the anniversary of Agenda 2030 has just passed, and retail giant Amazon has intensified its efforts to encourage large companies and corporations to join their climate pledge, founded in 2019. It is encouraging to see the fight..

On 24 November, from 6 – 8:30pm, Milton Keynes Business Improvement District (BID) is holding an evening of fashion and gifting at John Lewis Milton Keynes, in order to raise funds to provide a chemo chair for Milton Keynes University Hospital Cancer Unit. This exclusive event promises fashion, fizz and plenty of fun, so get your friends together and enjoy pre-Christmas celebrations, whilst raising much-needed funds for Milton Keynes Hospital Charity. Tickets cost £20 per person, and £15 from each ticket will be donated to the hospital charity. There are limited tickets available, so please book early to avoid disappointment...

The Willen Hospice annual Christmas service of remembrance, Lights of Love, will return to The Ridgeway Centre in Wolverton Mill on Saturday 4 December. The free event, which had to be held virtually last year, is a poignant opportunity for people who have lost someone close. The service gives people a space to reflect, and celebrate the lives of those no longer with us. Starting at 2.30pm, the service will include Christmas Carols, and performances from MK Brass Brand, Willen Choir, Junction 14 and singing from pupils at Knowles Primary School. Children are invited to decorate stars to hang on..

High Street jewellers, F.Hinds is delighted to announce that it has partnered with BBC Children in Need for 2021 to help raise money that will benefit disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. The family-owned and run business will be raising money for the charity across its estate of 115 F.Hinds and 12 Chapelle stores across the UK, including its Milton Keynes store from 1st until 17th November. The company, which celebrates its 165th anniversary this year, will be inviting customers to enter a competition to win a £250 gift card and a giant Pudsey Bear by making a..

This weekend, (29th - 31st October) sees the return of the much loved Handmade & Vintage Winter Fair at centre:mk. Operating once again as the full scale event that we all know and love, the 3 day extravaganza sees 120 independent stalls selling one-off pieces from designer-makers, artists, artisans and specialist vintage and antique dealers. The event has free entry and is open Friday 9:30am – 6pm; Saturday 9am-6pm and Sunday 10:30am-5pm. Every item featured at the event is a one-off and no retail items are permitted, making it the perfect addition to the wonderful high street shopping at centre:mk..

Harry’s Rainbow is a Milton Keynes-based children’s charity that supports children and young people who have been bereaved of a parent or sibling. The charity is absolutely delighted to be launching its early campaign to raise much-needed awareness of child bereavement in line with Children's Grief Awareness Week. Their Rainbow Week campaign will run between 18th - 25th November and they would love members of the public to join them. They will be providing visitors with selfie props, face paint and t-shirts - all you need to do is pick a day in the above week to raise the awareness..

Xscape Milton Keynes will thank its visitors this month with 100s of prize giveaways to mark its 21st birthday year. Visitors are invited to Xscape on Saturday 30 October 2021 between 12noon and 5pm to take a turn on the Wheel of Surprizes for a chance to win a variety of prizes, from meal vouchers and shopping gift cards to activity passes. The event is free for participants but children under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult. And there are more chances to win exciting prizes with Xscape’s biggest online prize draw yet. Enter the Ultimate Great Xscape..