19 July: Weekly Bulletin for the Voluntary and Community Sector in Milton Keynes

19 July 2019

Vital Signs Focus Group
Wednesday 31st July @ 3pm

This year Community Action: MK is organising a focus group to support the community consultation programme as part of the Vital Signs 2019 project, which is run by MK Community Foundation. Anyone living, working or volunteering in Milton Keynes is welcome to come along.

The focus group will take place on Wednesday 31st July at 3pm at Acorn House, 351 Midsummer Blvd, MK9 3HP and will run for up to 1.5hours. Please register by completing this form online – once registered, we will contact you to confirm the details.

ella forums Milton Keynes Group
July 25th Leadership Development Meeting

ella forums invite you to attend as their guest, the launch of our new Milton Keynes Leadership Development Group on July 25th, 2019, kindly hosted by and at the offices of the MK Community Foundation.

This new ella forums MK Group is a peer mentoring and experiential learning group specifically designed to inspire and develop the leaders of Social Enterprises and Charities to grow their organisation. We will come together for monthly meetings to hear the latest thinking from guest speakers, share best practice and participate in a problem/opportunity resolution clinic.

When: Thursday 25th July 2019 9.30am-2.00pm
Where: Margaret Powell House 401/407 Midsummer Boulevard Central Milton Keynes MK9 3BN
What next: To reserve your place please click here to register.

Email phil@ella-forums.org for further details or visit our website ella-foundation.org

BLMK NHS Long Term Plan

Thank you for helping hundreds have their say on the NHS Long Term Plan in Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.

More money should be spent on providing better access to health and community services, with flexible support available around the clock – according to hundreds of people who took part in a region-wide survey. The findings, published in a report by the county’s independent health and care champion Healthwatch Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, reveal nearly 1000 people believe more needs to be done to improve access to GP appointments for people who work full time.

Station Square Public Consultation: Have your say

Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP) would like to gather views on the potential redevelopment of Milton Keynes’s Station Square to create a gateway to the city that responds to future growth. A link to their survey, consultation materials and a virtual tour of the Station Square Exhibition created for the MK Futures 2050 event can be found on the MKDP website.
The closing date for feedback is Sunday 4th August 2019.

Milton Keynes Council Open Consultations

See all MK Council consultations

24 HOUR LITTER PICK – McDonald’s Milton Keynes July 24th

After months of planning, McDonald’s in Milton Keynes have announced more information on our biggest Love Where You Live event yet, with our annual 24-hour litter picking event taking place on Wednesday 24 July! Now, we are calling for as many volunteers as possible to turn out during the 24-hour period to make the event their biggest and most productive litter pick yet, and we’d like you to register here if you would like to get involved!

BBC Three Counties People Awards

The BBC is inviting nominations for its Three Counties People Awards to celebrate the exceptional people of Beds, Herts and Bucks. The awards are held to recognise those outstanding people who always go the extra mile, who care about their community or who consistently give up their time to help others. Examples of categories are Young Achiever, Carer, Volunteer, 999 and Diversity & Equality. The ceremony takes place at the Grove Theatre, Dunstable, on 25 September. For more details on the awards and how to nominate, please visit the awards section of the BBC website.

Let’s Talk Loneliness Campaign

Loneliness is an issue that can affect us all at some point in our lives. In January 2018, following recommendations from the Jo Cox Foundation, the UK Government announced a programme of work to tackle loneliness. The following October, the Government launched its Loneliness Strategy , which committed to tackling the stigma of loneliness and promoting the importance of social connections. And from this, the #LetsTalkLoneliness campaign was born, to encourage everyone to start the conversation and say it’s OK to feel lonely and it’s okay to talk about it.

This website brings together organisations, resources and inspirational stories that are united in a shared aim, to get more people talking about loneliness. Find out more

Volunteering opportunity of the week: Board members for The Stables Events Ltd.

We are looking for Board members to join the Trustees of The Stables Events Ltd – the charity responsible for IF: Milton Keynes International Festival and other major cultural events.

The Festival was founded in 2010 and has gone on to become a much-loved and celebrated biennial event in the UK’s cultural calendar. Transforming Milton Keynes with a world-class, multi-arts programme of extraordinary events in unusual places and public spaces, the Festival has a growing reputation for commissioning new work and presenting UK premieres.

As we approach the 2020 Festival we are looking for Trustees with particular experience in developing, directing and supporting major Festivals and events.
More information: https://stables.org/about-us/job-vacancies

Calling all volunteers!

Heritage MK are working together and with Milton Keynes Council to help the residents and visitors of Milton Keynes connect with the history of the UK’s most successful New Town.

Although Milton Keynes new town heritage itself is only half a century old, there is a rich history of people living in the area of the city. From the Victorians to the Romans and even the Stone-Age, promoting this rich history is the work that the member organisations of Heritage MK specialise in.

In 2019, we have three exciting projects in conjunction with the Council asking for volunteers. These are:

New Town Heritage Explorers – Exploring our unique buildings, places and spaces through events and activity creating a national case study for Milton Keynes as a leading new town reinventing itself and planning for its next fifty years.

MK Skate – Social history research, city centre trail, and a major exhibition about the important role Milton Keynes has played in UK skateboarding culture. The project will also showcase and preserve the amazing archive three generations have collected for the city.

A Festival of Creative Urban Living – www.afcul.org. An amazing set of installations on Midsummer Boulevard East at the heart of the City Centre, celebrating ‘The Built, the Unbuilt and the Unbuildable’. The Festival Programme will take place from 27 September to 13 October and will ask people to show the world what is great about ‘MK’ and what they would like to see for its future, starting with the reshaping of the city centre.

Each project will require a number of volunteers from researchers, transcribers, events coordinator, exhibition stewards, visitor hosts to photographers, filmmakers, cycle tour guides and much, much more. For more information, or to sign up your interest, go to the Heritage MK volunteers website at:
https://heritagemk.volunteermakers.org

MK Community Foundation:
Philanthropy Manager – Full Time

MK Community Foundation are looking for an exceptional Philanthropy Manager with experience in developing high-impact relationships with donors and grant beneficiaries.

Can you contribute to the success of the MK Community Foundation through cultivating new and stewarding existing supporters? Find out more

Spinal Injuries Association:
Support Care and Data Coordinator and Trusts and Partnerships Assistant

The Spinal Injuries Association is the leading national charity supporting individuals who sustain damage to the spinal cord, often resulting in paralysis.

Supporter Care and Data Coordinator (Maternity Cover)
With a can-do attitude, a caring approach and attention to detail, you will support the Individual Giving & Membership Manager in delivering a first class engagement experience to our members and supporters, putting your strong CRM management expertise to good use whilst delivering excellent supporter care.
Find out more

Trusts and Partnerships Assistant (Part-time)
Charitable trusts are very important to SIA and account for around £400,000 of our annual income. They provide much-needed financial support, without which we wouldn’t be able to deliver our vital services for spinal cord injured people. We’re seeking a Trusts and Partnerships Assistant who will support SIA’s trust fundraising activity.Trusts and Partnerships Assistant (Part-time)
Find out more

MK Community Foundation Community Grants

Up to £5,000
Deadline 2 August 2019
MK Community Foundation award a range of grants to charities and community groups that help to make a positive impact in Milton Keynes and benefit local people.

Home Office – Anti-Knife Crime Community Fund

Max. Value: £ 30,000
Grants are available to voluntary and community sector groups for community projects in England and Wales which reduce knife crime and have a positive impact on young people who are at risk of carrying a knife and committing a crime.

Neighbourhood Planning Grants and Support Programme 2018-2022

Max. Value: £ 15,000
Grants and technical support are available for town and parish councils, neighbourhood forums and prospective neighbourhood forums to draw up a neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development order in England.

NHS Blood and Transplant – BAME Community Investment Scheme

Max. Value: £ 10,000
Grants to local community and faith/belief-based organisations for projects in England and Wales that positively engage local communities in organ donation, address myths and barriers, and increase support for organ donation among black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities.

Horizon 2020 – Excellent Science – European Research Infrastructures (including e-Infrastructures)

Max. Value: Discretionary
Support is available for facilities, resources and services that are used by research communities to conduct research and foster innovation. In particular, grants support activities that foster the innovation potential of research infrastructures, for example, by reinforcing partnerships with industry, transfer of knowledge and other dissemination activities, use of research infrastructures by industrial researchers, and involvement of industrial associations in consortia or in advisory bodies.

Free Let’s Fish! – Milton Keynes Learn to Fish Sessions

Wed, 24 July 2019 10:00 – 16:30
Held by the Canal and River Trust

Get off the tablet and on to the towpath! Whether you have fished before or have always wanted to try, come and learn to fish from our team of professional, fully qualified angling coaches. (All the bait and equipment is provided, so all you need to do is book in and turn up on the day.) Find out more and register here

Cinema at the Sky Room: This Week

MK Gallery is partnering with Curzon Cinemas to bring audiences in Milton Keynes the very best independent film programme, from art house films to classic movies.
Find out more and book here

Service Six Family Fun Day

Saturday 31^stAugust, 12-4
Chapter House, Coffee Hall

On Saturday 31^st August Service Six will be holding a family fun day at our base Chapter House, Coffee Hall. The event is 12-4, we will have a bouncy castle, low cost bbq, tomobola, raffle, games, a number of Harley Davidsons, Police Car and a range of stalls. If you would like to have a promotional stall or even if you just want to come and lend a hand we would be grateful of the support.
Contact Katie Marsh for more info: katie.marsh@servicesix.co.uk