Events

 Hobson’s choice-12/032016-2.30pm

(Touch Tour 1pm)

Chicago-17 Mar 2016-7.30pm

(Touch Tour 6pm)

 The Barber of Seville-1 Apr 2016-7.15pm

(Touch Tour 6.15pm)

 The Bodyguard-16 Apr 2016-7.30pm

(Touch Tour 6.45pm)

 Swan Lake-30 Apr 2016-2.30pm

(Touch Tour and Insight Workshop 12pm)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang-6 May 2016-7.30pm

(Touch Tour 6pm)

Annie-3 Jun 2016-7.30pm

(Touch Tour 6pm)

Guys & Dolls-16 Jun 2016-7.30pm

(Touch Tour 6pm)

 Dick Whittington-17/12/2016-2.30pm

(Touch Tour 12pm & 1pm)

The Bodyguard-22 Apr 2016-7.30pm 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang-13 May 2016-7.30pm 

Annie-2 Jun 2016-7.30pm

Dick Whittington-12 Jan 2017-7pm

Hobson’s choice-12/03/2016-7.30pm

Chicago-16/03/2016-2.30pm

 The Bodyguard-20 Apr 2016-2.30pm

 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang-12/05/2016-7.30pm

 Annie-01/06/2016-2.30pm

 Dick Whittington-05/01/17-7pm

Access Performances 2016-2017

BSL

Dick Whittington 12 Jan 2017 7pm

MAMMA MIA! 5 May 2017 7.30pm

Jane Eyre 13 July 2017 7.15pm

Wonderland 21 July 2017 7.30

Dick Whittington 17 Dec 2016 2.30pm

(Touch Tour 12pm &1pm)

La Boheme 23 Mar 2017 7.15pm

(Touch Tour 6pm)

MAMMA MIA! 20 May 2017 2.30pm

(Touch Tour 12.20pm & 1.30pm)

Jane Eyre 15 July 2017 2pm

(Touch Tour 12pm)

Captioned

Dick Whittington 5 Jan 2017 7pm

MAMMA MIA! 13 May 2017 2.30pm

Jane Eyre 12 July 2017 7.15pm

Audio Described Performances

Relaxed performances

Dick Whittington 3rd Jan 2017 1pm

Access Performances 2016 - 2017

Our fabulous pantomime is a great festive outing and we are delighted to offer a relaxed performance 

So what is a relaxed performance and who is it for?

Suitable for both adults and children who would benefit from a more relaxed setting when attending the theatre, including people on the autism spectrum, people who make involuntary noises, people with learning disabilities, or just anyone who prefers a less formal environment when coming to see a show.

Of course the show is as good, as funny, as entertaining and as spectacular as at any other performance but the atmosphere in the auditorium is less formal than at a regular performance. It’s the opposite of the ‘quiet carriage’ on the train – there’s a relaxed attitude to noise, movement and a few small changes to the sound levels and some lighting effects are made.

We offer group discounts for 10 or more at this performance – please call our dedicated Group Sales Team on 01908 547609
Or email groupsales@theambassadors.com

For individual tickets please call;
Box Office 0844 8717652*
Access 0844 8717677*

Or visit atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes
*Booking fees apply. Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone
company’s access charge

Dick Whittington Relaxed Performance 2017

Dementia support workers provide information and support to people with dementia and their carers by telephone and face to face. Visits can be arranged in people’s homes or at our office. If you would like to speak to someone, please telephone to arrange a suitable appointment.

As the Society gets to the end of its current 5 year strategy, we have been working with people affected by dementia to set the direction for the next stage of the journey.
The Society will launch the new 5 year strategy in April 2017. At the beginning of the year the new look and feel will be unveiled. From January we will be sharing more about the changes you can expect to see.
Additionally the Society will be calling for mandatory dementia training for all homecare workers in England. The most recent strand of the Fix Dementia Care Campaign focuses on homecare and the Society’s latest report reveals that only 2 per cent of people affected by dementia feel that homecare workers have enough dementia training. It also found that 1 in 3 homecare workers have no training in dementia. The Society is calling for minimum training standards and for the Care Quality Commission to include checks on the quality of dementia training when inspecting homecare providers.

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Services Information Sheet MK- Winter 2016

Lip-reading (Mixed-level)

Do you find communication a challenge due to hearing loss?

Lip-reading classes offer opportunities to improve lipreading skills, develop communication strategies and gain more information from non-verbal clues.

Rivers Centre, Trent Road, Bletchley

New 10 week class starting Friday 13th January 2017

9am until 11am – Cost £116 (concessions £93)

Further concessions available for learners with hearing loss and those who care for the deaf

Lipreading poster Jan 2017 pdf

Art Workshops for Adults with Additional Support Needs

Arts for Health are working with a team of volunteers to offer creative workshops for adults who require 1:1 support to enable them to participate in arts activities.
These workshops take place in a relaxed, fun and supportive environment. They are suitable for people with a range of health conditions including learning difficulties and stroke or brain injury recovery.

Mondays, 2pm to 4pm

This is an ongoing project. 

Beginning on Monday 16th January 2017

The Monday group is the one with most spaces, and the one we like to offer for younger people (under 50ish) as we are aware there is already provision for older people and children.

Contact
Please note, in order to offer 1:1 support there are only 5 places available and booking is essential.
There is an annual membership fee of £50, anyone interested is welcome to come and try a session for FREE first (please book).
If you or someone you know would like to attend ple2ase email Sarah at volunteer@artsforhealthmk.com for more details.

Monday-Group-for-Adults-with-Additional-Needs-2

Below is a link to our latest course schedule, which incorporates the new groups and courses we're offering.

WFU_Schedule_Feb_2017_updated (3)

Relaxation through Mindfulness (1) Relaxation through Mindfulness stress and anxiety management (1) Stress and Anxiety Management

MK Community Energy Alliance is an initiative formed in Milton Keynes in 2016 by Community Action: MK, Transition MK, Wolverton Community Energy, Camphill Communities Milton Keynes and MK People’s Assembly.

MK Community Energy Alliance is supported by CAPE, Community Action Platform for Energy as well as by the MK:Smart  projects.

The aim of this initiative is to celebrate and promote renewable energy initiatives in Milton Keynes, with a focus on community-owned energy model in particular, and to mobilise our local communities to get involved and support these. A more specific aim of the alliance is to organise a series of educational events and produce resources for citizens of Milton Keynes on the topic of community energy.

MK Community Energy Conference 2017 – 25 February 2017

We are delighted to let you know that we are in the process of organising a conference dedicated to community energy and the sustainable history of Milton Keynes.

For more information please follow the link: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=c4386cb7d45690f9ad65f1f0d&id=2a2d99e0be&e=c62e1ed9e5

YMCA Milton Keynes ‘Sleep Easy’

Milton Keynes YMCA is calling on the local community in Milton Keynes to take part in our annual ‘Sleep Easy’ fundraising event to raise awareness of rough sleeping and raise money for young, homeless people.

 The event, which will take place on Friday 3^rd March and will last from 7.00pm – 7.00am the next morning, invites participants to brave the cold for one night and sleep in a makeshift cardboard box outside the YMCA in CMK.

MK YMCA already serves approximately 500 young, homeless people a year in the area and having lost £194,000 in council funding, we are looking to raise awareness among local people of what it is like to be on the streets for just one night.

Participants are asked to pay an entry fee of £10 to take part in the event, with all funds being used to eradicate the reality of youth homelessness for many young people. They are also encouraged to raise money through sponsorship.

According to the MK Community Foundation ‘Vital Signs’ report, at the end of January 2016 there were 27 confirmed rough sleepers in the city with another 31 reported but unconfirmed. This is a 237% increase on 2013 when there were 8 confirmed rough sleepers in MK. However, these are the official figures, but in reality the figures are probably higher as they don’t take into account those who are constantly sofa surfing.

 sleepeasy poster 2017 1 SLEEP EASY COMMUNITY LETTER

"Tomorrow should be part of the training of every political leader on the planet"  

For more information please follow the link: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=c4386cb7d45690f9ad65f1f0d&id=3e1d1bc8c7&e=d61bda1766

When is Disabled Access Day?

Disabled Access Day 2017 will take place between 10th and 12th March 2017. We've extended the dates so more people can get involved and more places can be visited. The main day of events will be Saturday 11th March but we hope by extending the dates more people will be able to get involved and visit venues over multiple days!

We hope you'll join us for one, two or all three days in 2017!

When was the first Disabled Access Day?

Saturday 17th January 2015 was the first Disabled Access Day, you can find out how it went by reading our impact report.

The second Disabled Access Day was held on 12th March 2016 and saw it grow over four times in size - we have high hopes for 2017!

Where is Disabled Access Day?

Anywhere & everywhere! This year the majority of events took place across the UK, but there were also events across Europe and in Canada. No matter where you are, you can get involved! 

Who is Disabled Access Day for?

All disabled people and their families, friends and carers.

Can I help you?

Oh yes, definitely! This is a big undertaking and we need all the help we can get. There are lots of opportunities to get involved: whether you’re an individual that wants to help spread the word, an organisation that wants to hold an event or a charity that wants to encourage people to get involved. Please get in touch for more information or visit our get involved pages.

For more information please follow the link: 

http://www.disabledaccessday.com/what-where-when/

Dementia support workers provide information and support to people with dementia and their carers by telephone and face to face. Visits can be arranged in people’s homes or at our office. If you would like to speak to someone, please telephone to arrange a suitable appointment.

Service Location Frequency Time
‘All Hands on Deck’ Activity Group

(for people with dementia under 65)

Monday, monthly -
3 April
15 May
12 Jun
2pm - 4pm

Activity Group

Swinfen Harris Hall, London Road, Stony Stratford MK11 1JA

Every Tuesday
10am - 12pm
Activity Group
Shenley Wood Village, Chalkdell Drive, Shenley Wood, MK5 6GJ

Last Tuesday of the month
25 Apr, 30 May, 27 Jun
2pm – 4pm

Activity Group
West Bletchley Community Centre, Porchester Close, Bletchley MK3 6BH

Wednesday, fortnightly
5 & 19 Apr
3, 17 & 31 May
14 & 28 Jun
1.45pm -3.45pm

Activity Group

Springfield Centre, Springfield Boulevard, MK6 3JH

Every Thursday
1.30pm -3.30pm

Carer Support Group

Margaret Powell House, Central Milton Keynes MK9 3BN

Wednesday, fortnightly
12 & 26 Apr
10 & 24 May
7 & 21 Jun
10.30am - 12.30pm

Singing for the Brain ***CHANGE OF DETAILS – SEE OVERLEAF***
Abbey Hill Golf Centre, Monks Way, Two Mile Ash, Milton Keynes, MK8 8AA

Monday, fortnightly
10 & 24 Apr, 8 & 22 May, 5 & 19 Jun
10.30am -12.15pm

Singing for the Brain ***CHANGE OF DETAILS – SEE OVERLEAF***
The Peartree Centre, Chadd Lane, Milton Keynes MK6 3EB.

Monday, fortnightly
10 & 24 Apr, 8 & 22 May, 5 & 19 Jun
2pm - 3.45pm

Services Information Sheet MK- Spring 2017

Relate Milton Keynes CPD Workshop - Raising Awareness in Couple Relationships affected by Asperger Syndrome

Friday 24^th March 2017

This is a 6 hour workshop (10am – 4pm) which we will be running in a venue (to be confirmed) in Milton Keynes.

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided.

The cost is £95 (£10 discount) for bookings confirmed by 31.01.17 (payment will be required to confirm)

For more information please email appointment@relatemk.org

All Abilities Night at iFly Indoor Skydiving for free

"All Abilities Night" that we are running in our Milton Keynes tunnel.
iFly is abe to offer you 2 spaces to this event for people you think would love to come and fly. We want to show that no matter what a persons disability is, they can still experience the dream of flight.

To book in, the lucky 2 people will need to contact me and all of the information about the night/times/contact details are below. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, so once spaces are gone, they're gone. This event will be free and if successful we plan to run a regular quarterly 'All Abilities' night.
Milton Keynes - 28/03/17 - 18:30pm & 19:00pm flight times (report to us at 17:30pm latest) - People will need to have booked with me by the 20th March latest. Any bookings after this date may not be considered.
Contact details: Marc Leopard - mleopold@iflyworld.co.uk

‘Your guide to flying with a disability’

Tuesday 4^th April 2017

Milton Keynes Christian Conference Centre,  Oldbrook   MK6 2TG 

Please let us know how you plan to arrive at the event?

By car o       Public transport o          By air o       On foot o 

Do you have any special dietary requirements?

Do you have a hearing/visual or other hidden disability that we can support you with on the day?

Would you be interested in finding out about our other events?   

On receipt of this form, we will send you a short questionnaire to find out about the flying related areas of interest or concern that you have.

         Please email return this form too: marion.dmoirah@qef.org.uk  or post to:

QEF Mobility Services, 1 Metcalfe Avenue, Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 4AW

   Tel: 0208 770 1151 Fax 0208 770 1211 www.qef.org.uk & www.tryb4ufly.org.uk

 2. MK VISITOR REGISTRATION FORM - 4 APRIL 2017

Govconnect is a social enterprise dedicated to assisting the wide range of organisations in the UK & EU challenged with delivering health and social care policy. We seek to ensure that the vision for Health and Care is delivered upon across all UK and European geographies and administrations.

Through a series of strategic conferences and accompanying digital and social engagement strategies, Govconnect will provide a platform to drive greater collaboration.

In turn, it is hoped that models of care can be improved upon, partnerships strengthened and that through engagement with local communities and their local and national delivery agents tasked with the provision of Health & Care; the quality of patient experience, safety, and care is enhanced.

Through our inaugural conference in London and the accompanying Northern version, we have ensured that the leading stakeholders are convened to discuss the progressions to date. These activities have empowered hundreds of health and care professionals with valuable insight on future policy aspirations for 2020 and beyond. The huge success of these initiatives have also enabled Govconnect to utilise its social status and reinvest back into many community projects and National charities.

To ensure that we deliver on our pledge we are urging policy makers, government departments and all responsible agencies and organisations to work with us on these unique set of challenges.

As one of the UK’s fastest growing social enterprises we work with a range of local community projects on issues linked to Dementia, in addition to investing our profits to key research charities and many other worthy causes.

We invite you, your friends and family to local charity, BucksVision, Meadowcroft, Aylesbury to hear a talk about our essential support work for blind and partially sighted people in Buckinghamshire.

You may be partially sighted yourself and would like to learn more about how our services could help you, or perhaps you are thinking of becoming a fundraiser or volunteer for a local charity.  These talks will tell you all you need to know about BucksVision.

Refreshments will be served after the talk. To book your place, please contact Sally Collier on:

01296 487556 or reception@bucksvision.co.uk

BucksVision, 143 Meadowcroft, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP19 9HH Telephone 01296 487556

Registered Company Number 8016572: Charity Number 1147814 (England and Wales)

The Royal National Institute of Blind People: Charity Number 226227 (England and Wales)

Please come along and support our public fundraising event. The event kicks off from 7pm with coffees, teas and snacks. Pease feel free to bring along your own alcohol. There will be lots of fun and prizes to be won.

If you would like to take part please contact kim.burchell@mkcil.org.uk or call 01908 231344 and register your place. Teams of up to 6 people. Cost of entry £7 per person payable on the door.
BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW!

Develop your sensory lexiconary and learn to use it to communicate with those who experience meaning in a primarily sensory way.

Winchester 8th, Bath 9th, Cardiff 10th, Milton Keynes 22nd, Walsall 23rd, Sheffield 24th.

Everyone is welcome on these days but they are particularly suitable for:

• People who support individuals with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

• People who are looking to use sensory communication with individuals in the later stages of dementia.

• People who work with babies and children in the early years looking to develop their sensory practice.

• Creative individuals looking to develop sensory works to engage with sensory communicators.

• People who work in special schools or run groups that support students from special schools.

• People with a particular interest in sensory literacy.

"Inspired and delighted by the sensory possibilities Circus Starr CIC

Not enough superlatives to describe the experience Jo Bonney Support worker extraordinaire

Delegates on the 2016 conferences included: teachers, portage workers, speech and language therapists, support workers, people from dementia care, people who support babies in the first months of life, staff members from CICs looking to support inclusion in society, social researchers, family members and more.

To access more feedback click here.

For more information please follow the link:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/develop-your-sensory-lexiconary-2017-tour-tickets-28789438987

JUNE IS THE MONTH OF ACTION ON PAVEMENT PARKING IN MILTON KEYNES

Calling all Citizens– Milton Keynes needs you!

RNIB, Bucks Vision and Guide Dogs are working together to tackle the thorny problem of pavement parking in the Milton Keynes area. So many people with visual impairments have complained to us about cars blocking their path that we’ve got to act.

We are going to have a ‘month of action’ in June. We’re planning a variety of activities: blindfold walks with councillors and MPs, having a stall in the shopping centre to get signatures on the pavement-parking petition, distributing leaflets, visiting local politicians and getting as much publicity as we possibly can to stop people parking their cars on the pavements.

It’s going to take a lot of work - and that’s why we really need your help. We need volunteers for the activities. We need people to talk to their councillors and to journalists. We need photographs of badly-parked cars in your area so that we can make display boards.

Working together gives us the best chance we’ll ever have of cracking the pavement-parking problem - but it will only happen if everyone pitches in for June’s month of action. We really do need you!

Please come along to our planning meeting to hear more about this campaign and to tell us what activities you can help with.

When: 2pm on May 12^th

Where:.  Centrecom 602 North Row, Behind MK Central Library, Secklow Gate West, Central Milton Keynes MK9 3BJ

Just drop one of us an email or ring us to say you’ll be there. If you can’t get to the meeting, please get in touch to talk about what you can do. Here are our contact details:

Padma:  e-mail: pscheriyan@gmail.com  or Tel: 01908 377058

Bucks Vision office: e-mail:reception@bucksvision.co.uk

Tel: 01296 487556

Guide Dogs:Eddie Rimmer: er7051@gmail.com Tel:07580 572 784

The week commencing Sunday 14^th May is Dementia Awareness 

We will also be attending Shenley Wood Retirement Villages Wellbeing Event from 10am-3pm on Wednesday 17^th where we will man an information stand.

JOIN US FOR AN AFTERNOON OF FUN....

TEA DANCE!!!!

West Bletchley Community Centre,

Porchester Place MK3 6BH

Wednesday 17th May 1.45pm-3.45pm

ALL WELCOME!

Free event with refreshments

To book your place call 01908 232612

poster tea dance

JOIN US!! WE NEED YOU!! COME AND SHOW

SUPPORT AT OUR

LINKING HANDS EVENT

INTU SHOPPING CENTRE CMK

Friday 19th May 10am-2pm

Musical Entertainment/InformationStand

AT 11AM there will be a "Linking of Hands" to

stand united against Dementia

poster linking hands

Tuesday 6th June - Action on hearing Loss

Tuesday 20th June - Coffee Morning

Tuesday 4th July - Padma

Tuesday 18th July - Coffee Morning

Tuesday 1st August - MK  CENTRE OF INTEGRATED

Tuesday 15th August - Coffee Morning

Tuesday 5th September - Milton Keynes hospital Audiology (To be confirmed)

 Tuesday 19th September - Coffee Morning 

Tuesday 3rd October - Milton Keynes Healthwatch

Tuesday 17th October - Coffee Morning

Tuesday 7th November - Milton Keynes Adult Hearing service (Community) 

Tuesday 21st November - Coffee Morning

Tuesday 5th December - Milton Keynes Lip Reading Class (To be comfirmed) 

Tuesday 19th December - Hard of Hearing Christmas celebration 

Guest Speaker: Elaine Herety, Oral Health Improver from Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) to give information on Oral Health.

One of our regularly scheduled group meetings which acts as an open forum for members old and new to talk about their experiences in a welcoming social environment.

http://miltonkeynes.diabetesukgroup.org/events/june-group-meeting3

Campaign against parking on pavements

Cars parked on pavements is a thorny problem making it dangerous to walk on pavements for the visually impaired, the elderly, people with mobility issues, wheelchair users as well as parents with children in buggies. We are campaigning to ask the government to roll out London style rules on parking all over the country.

We will be holding a stall in the Food Hall, Central Milton Keynes as well as outside McDonald’s in the shopping building to collect signatures on the petition forms on Saturday, 17 June 2017 from 10 a m to 3 p m. I will be delighted if you can pop round and sign the petition if you happen to be in the City Centre. If you are unable to visit the City Centre on the day, I shall be grateful if you could sign the petition online. 
The link to the online petition is www.guidedogs.org.uk/pavementparking

Exhibition by Disabled Artists in Milton Keynes.

LISTENING THE VOICES OF HATE SURVIVORS

The Fight Against Hate campaign of Citizens:MK has won the support of MK Council in hosting a new approach to reducing the effects of hate crime.  Hate legislation covers five grounds: race/nationality, religion, sexuality, gender identity and disability. The Council will host a twilight session, to hear the voices of residents, and/or those working or studying in Milton Keynes, who have experienced some form of hate towards them in MK, no matter how big or small.  The aim is to reduce their discomfort by simply giving them the opportunities to listen to each other’s stories about what happened to them. 

LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF HATE SURVIVORS - May 24th 2017

Milton Keynes Macular Society Support Group

meets on the second Tuesday of the month from 2.00 to 4.00pm

at Centrecom Meeting Place, 602 North Row, (Behind MK Library)

Secklow Gate West, Central Milton Keynes MK9 3BJ

Programme July to December 2017

Tuesday 11 July

Beware of Fraudsters:  Graham Edwards, Head of Group Security at Nationwide Building Society, will bring us up to date on how to keep safe with our banking, in shops, on the telephone and on-line.  This will be food for thought!

Tuesday 8 August

Summer Tea Party:

Come along for our social afternoon with delicious refreshments, a fun quiz or game and a raffle.

Tuesday 12 September

Radio Days:

Kevin Varty with an entertaining, nostalgic look at radio programmes.  We can all join in with reminiscences and guessing the signature tune!

Tuesday 10 October

Ambulance Life:

Bob Ive with his interesting and entertaining reminiscences of his times as a paramedic

Tuesday 14 November

One man and his dogs!

We welcome again Tom McInulty, our Area Organiser for the Macular Society, this time to talk about his positive life after sight loss with his guide dogs, emphasising his sporting and thrilling achievements which include daring things many of us would never contemplate

Tuesday 12 December

Christmas social meeting with seasonal refreshments, a raffle and entertainment by the popular “The Last of the Summer Ukuleles”

For further details please contact Maggie on 01908 319 292

You are invited to attend a celebratory event to mark Disability Awareness Day in Milton Keynes (affectionately known as MK DAD

Taking place on Friday 14^th July 11am at
The Milton Keynes Rose, Campbell Park

Followed by a procession back to centre:mk for refreshments at the

“Now You See Me” Exhibition. 

We look forward to welcoming you to the event and would be delighted if you could confirm your attendance by emailing us at roisin.callaghan@mkuh.nhs.uk

Community Learning MK are hosting a free event to raise awareness of hearing loss.

Free entrance

Participants will be able to attend taster lessons in Lip-reading and British Sign Language, and access information about services available to those with hearing loss.

If you or someone you know is experiencing hearing loss and would benefit from support, advice and guidance, you are welcome to attend this event.

Service providers and support groups will be present to answer questions and offer help and information.