— Comments Off on Children’s Grief Awareness Week

Children’s Grief Awareness Week

Guest Blog – Harry’s Rainbow sharing more about Children’s Grief Awareness Week (18th -25th November)

We have been joined by Harry’s Rainbow a local charity that supports children and young adults bereaved of a parent or sibling. Here they share their work, insights into the upcoming Grief Awareness Week & how you can stay up to date with them – Thank you to Harry’s Rainbow for sharing with us.

We have just celebrated our 10th birthday and in this time we have supported over 480 children. Along with offering direct support through our Rainbow groups, we are keen to raise awareness of the experience that our families have. One way of doing this is through supporting campaigns like Children’s Grief Awareness Week.

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— Comments Off on Milton Keynes Homelessness Partnership Research Highlights the Local Impact of Covid-19 on the Homeless Sector

Milton Keynes Homelessness Partnership Research Highlights the Local Impact of Covid-19 on the Homeless Sector

A bit more from MKHP regarding the report and the work they have been doing.

As the homelessness sector continues to navigate through the challenges presented by the pandemic, the Milton Keynes Homelessness Partnership (MKHP) publishes its inaugural research report. It puts a spotlight on the real impact of COVID-19 across the sector and on people who are homeless or are at risk of homelessness across Milton Keynes.


For the first time, the voices of Milton Keynes’ organisations across the voluntary and statutory sector, together with business speak out, highlighting their concerns and trepidation for the future whilst at the same time harnessing an abundance of optimism on what could be achieved if lessons from the pandemic are learned and acted upon. Carried out in March and April 2021, a series of in-depth and compelling interviews across the network tested the mood of the sector. The research began to get under the skin of the historical battle in Milton Keynes around homelessness. As relevant now as at the beginning of lockdown, the research compares Milton Keynes to the national picture uncovering unique local issues but also sharing national concerns around welfare payments, eviction bans, and more people beginning to present as homeless.

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— Comments Off on Guest Blog – Children Heard and Seen

Guest Blog – Children Heard and Seen

Thank you to Children Head and Seen for joining us and sharing this blog. Children Heard and Seen are a charity based in Oxford who support children affected by parental imprisonment. They are a vital charity that offers much needed help, activities and community to families who are often ignored and forgotten. Please take a read and find out more about their work, impact and the experiences of the children. Children Heard and Seen work across MK so do reach out to find out more.

A bit about our ‘WHY’…

Estimates suggest 312,000 children are affected by parental imprisonment in the UK. There is no government funded support for these children and no mechanism to identify them. Children are separated from their parent, often in traumatic circumstances, and left to cope with no professional support. Older children are often left to care for younger children, unidentified and alone.

“Before accessing the support from Children Heard and Seen our family wasn’t supported by anything or anyone”

“I was really shocked. I thought before court or after court I’d get a phone call from someone. I don’t know. Maybe someone from social services, not to judge or interfere with our family life, but to be there to offer support. I was really shocked because there’s nothing. Absolutely nothing. You’re just left to deal with it.”

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— Comments Off on Guest Blog – Depaul MK

Guest Blog – Depaul MK

This week we have been joined by Megan from Depaul UK, MK to share the work of the organisation which is working to prevent youth homelessness across MK. We love hearing about the work of the voluntary and community sector if you or your group would like to blog with us just email – support@communityactionmk.org. Now to hear from Depaul UK, thank you for sharing with us.

Depaul logo
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— Comments Off on Winter Night Shelter MK is looking for volunteers – can you help?

Winter Night Shelter MK is looking for volunteers – can you help?

Covid-19 has affected the voluntary and community sector in numerous ways, one impact on the Winter Night Shelter Milton Keynes is that their services are going from being seasonal (winter) to all year round. This is to ensure the support is available for the increasing numbers of vulnerable people. Read on to hear from the WNSMK about their work, the impact of Covid-19, their volunteers and how you can get involved. Thank you Winter Night Shelter Milton Keynes for sharing this with us and all the amazing work you do! To apply for a role this spring/summer please complete this application form: WNSMK volunteer application form (spring/summer 2021)

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— Comments Off on Volunteers needed – Stepping Stones Project

Volunteers needed – Stepping Stones Project

Could you support children and young people with their mental health?

Stepping Stones is a brand-new project that was developed, and will be delivered, collaboratively with the Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group and Service Six addressing the need to support children and young people transitioning from long-term inpatient mental health units back into the wider community. Volunteering Matters are looking for volunteers to support this project that starts in April 2021.

The key purpose of the volunteering role…

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— Comments Off on Sign Up Now – Our New Volunteering Platform

Sign Up Now – Our New Volunteering Platform

In 2021 we’ve been making some changes and hoping to improve our volunteering platform to suit the evolving needs that we have come across throughout the pandemic and adjust and adapt as we move into this New Year. 

With this in mind we have transitioned to and created a Community Action: MK, Doit.Org site. We feel that this platform will better suit the needs of groups and volunteers as we move forwards. We’d like to encourage organisations to create their profile page and begin uploading volunteering opportunities so that volunteers can see the variety of opportunities available in MK. More details below including, videos guiding you through the platform and ways to access support.

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