1 October 2025
The 1 October 2025 is the United Nations International Day of Older Persons. To celebrate this occasion, the Milton Keynes Older Persons’ Board, who advocate for the interests and concerns of older residents in Milton Keynes, are holding a short event at the MK Rose from 1pm on Wednesday 1 October. The event will include speeches on healthy and inclusive ageing, and the benefits of walking and cycling for older people.
The event is free to all and organisations and individuals with an interest in social connection or wellbeing for older people are welcome to attend.
July 2025
Milton Keynes Celebrates Inclusion with Disability Awareness Day on Monday 14 July 2025
Disability agencies from across Milton Keynes are proud to host Disability Awareness Day 2025, a free, inclusive celebration bringing together creativity, movement, community, and support for and by people with disabilities.
Taking place at MK Rose and MK Gallery on Monday 14 July from 12 Noon – 4pm, this vibrant event is filled with interactive activities, workshops, performances, and more – designed to highlight the talents, voices, and rights of the disabilities’ community. “This is not just an event,” said a spokesperson for Camphill Milton Keynes, “it’s a celebration of people, connection, and creativity. Everyone is welcome.”
Location: MK Gallery 10:30am to 4:00pm & MK Rose 12pm – 4pm
Entry: FREE – no ticket required!
Keep reading to see the full timetable of activities at the MK Gallery and MK Rose.
Continue reading “MK Disability Awareness Day”May 2025
The Milton Keynes Rose will be commemorating VE80 from 8pm-9.30pm on Thursday 8 May 2025 to mark the historic 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Everyone is invited to join our city’s celebration at the Milton Keynes Rose at 8pm on Thursday 8 May and enjoy music, dancing and singing, plus refreshments before processing to the Light Pyramid. At 9.30pm the beacon will be lit along with over a thousand other Beacons and hundreds of Lamp Lights of Peace to shine throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The flames and light will represent the ‘light of peace’ that emerged from the dreadful darkness of war.
Everyone is welcome to join us for this event but please note that children must be accompanied by an adult.
January 2025
Holocaust Memorial Day Event – 26 January 2025
*Please note that due to the adverse weather forecast for Sunday 26 January, this event will now take place at 3pm in the Worship Area, the Church of Christ the Cornerstone and not at the MK Rose.*
The annual Holocaust Memorial Event at the Milton Keynes Rose in Campbell Park will take place this year on Sunday 26 January at 3 p.m.
The event will involve music and readings relating to the Holocaust and will include the laying of 80 candles to mark the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp on 27 January 1945.
This is a free event and will last approximately 25 minutes. No booking necessary. All welcome.
January 2025
The city’s Corporate Pancake Day Race is back for another year where teams race and flip their pancakes to win the coveted engraved frying pan. Local companies had ‘batter’ hurry if they want to secure a place!
Organised as a fun event to raise money for the Milton Keynes Rose Trust, the traditional race takes place at Campbell Park on Tuesday 4 March from 11.30am. Teams are invited to sign up and compete for the title of ‘MK Corporate Pancake Day Race Winner’, an accolade currently held by Smith Jenkins. Plus, this year will see the welcome return of a Para-Pancake Race, following the successful debut in 2023.
Continue reading “MK Businesses invited to sign up for the Corporate Pancake Race 2025”December 2024
The MK Rose pillar 13 December 2009 Unsung Hero Day celebrates Doreen Adcock BEM being voted the Unsung Hero at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
This year on 13 December, we are taking the opportunity to celebrate some of our Unsung Local Heroes who have made a difference to the City and local communities.
Unsung Local Hero – Beverley Calverley
The Great Linford Parish Council informed the residents of Redhouse Park that section 106 money for local arts for their community had not been spent. Beverley Calverley, a resident of Redhouse Park, set about forming a committee, and created the ROCLA Art Project. She sought partnerships and undertook consultations with residents to develop an artist brief. Several artists were appointed to create a variety of public art in the community that reflects the nature, magic and location of the area; it is interactive and educational, focusing on wildlife. This initiative, led by Beverley, supported by volunteers is a legacy for its residents and the city of Milton Keynes.
Continue reading “Celebrating Unsung Local Hero – Beverley Calverley”November 2024
Following a public call out for nominations for the next MK Rose Pillar, the Independent Pillar Panel met in October. Having considered all the nominations, the Panel was unanimous in choosing Milton Keynes’ City Status 20 May 2022 for the next Pillar dedication.
We had a fantastic response with 30 different nominations for dates significant to the lives of people or organisations associated with Milton Keynes. The Panel was thrilled by the number and variety of the nominations received and the level of interest shown by everyone who had taken time to make a nomination.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination recognising individuals and events that have shaped Milton Keynes. We will be looking at how we can recognise the significant dates of other nominations that were not successful on this occasion.
Continue reading “New Pillar dedication for 2025 announced”September 2024
Saturday 21 September is the International Day of Peace, also known as World Peace Day. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, the theme for 2024 is “Cultivating a Culture of Peace”. There will be a short ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Milton Keynes Rose, Campbell Park to mark the date with music, dance and readings, culminating in an opportunity to commit ourselves to peace. All are welcome.
September 2024
On Friday 13 September 2024 the Living Archive MK’s new documentary film The MK Rose: The first 10 years had its inaugural screening in the Sky Room, MK Gallery.
Our thanks go to Roger Kitchen, Living Archive MK, for creating this wonderful film which tells the story of the Milton Keynes Rose in its 10th Anniversary year. The Milton Keynes Rose is a spectacular public place in Central Milton Keynes, which is available to everyone for celebration, commemoration and contemplation. This film tells the story of its genesis, its design by artist Gordon Young, its construction and its adoption by the community of Milton Keynes as a place of special significance.
We were delighted that artist Gordon Young, and his team were able to join us in a packed audience for the screening. If you would like to see the film, please click here to see the film which is now available on YouTube.
Continue reading “Heritage Open Day – Film Screening to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the MK Rose”August 2024
The Milton Keynes Rose is marking it’s tenth year since opening and nominations for a new Pillar dedication unfurling more about MK’s story are being sought now. In the past a Pillar Panel has met every two years to look at new suggestions coming forward from the community to grow and expand what’s remembered or celebrated. You can find more details about how to nominate a Pillar by clicking here
An engraving will take place in 2025 with our next engraving planned for 2030. If you can think of a date significant in the lives of people or organisations associated with Milton Keynes past or present with reasons for your nomination please send this to miltonkeynesrose@gmail.com
The closing date for nominations is Monday 16th September 2024
Continue reading “Nominations for our next Pillar now open”July – November 2024
Our programme of events for Summer/Autumn 2024 is now available.
*Please note that the Mandela Day event will take place on Saturday 20 July at 5pm not Thursday 18 July as previously listed on the programme*.
To download our programme please click here or visit our events page for more information about our events throughout the year.
Continue reading “What’s on at the MK Rose”July 2024
On Sunday 7 July, from 12 noon to 2.30 p.m., we will be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Milton Keynes Rose. The Rose was unveiled by the then Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Brian White, on 9 November 2013. Those of who were there will recall that it was wet ………very wet! So, we decided to hold our Anniversary Celebration when the weather was a bit warmer and (hopefully!) drier. We will have entertainment from Bradwell Silver Band, CrossRoots and Sheniah Asiamah. Donny and Mooey, from MK Dons, will be dropping by and the centre of the Rose will be decorated with a Crown of Flowers. There will be ice cream and tea/coffee available. And, of course, celebratory cakes!
Continue reading “Join us to celebrate 10 years of the MK Rose”June 2024
As part of our 10th Anniversary Celebratory Year for the Milton Keynes Rose on Saturday 15 June from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM at The Event Space, Milton Keynes Central Library, we are holding an archive collection event to gather and preserve memories and memorabilia related to the Milton Keynes Rose. Everyone is invited to come along and bring photographs, saved newspaper articles, postcards, any objects related to the Milton Keynes Rose or to share your memories of the Milton Keynes Rose and contribute to this important archival project.
The aim of the archive collection event is to support an archive that will be held by the Living Archive Milton Keynes, and we are delighted that Mark Niel, Milton Keynes’ Poet Laureate has written a poem for us titled The Story So Far – see below.
If you have memories and memorabilia relating to the Milton Keynes Rose, come along to help celebrate 10 years of the Milton Keynes Rose.
Continue reading “Join us to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the MK Rose”May 2024
The MK Rose is 10 years old this year and to celebrate the Trust is thrilled to announce we will be commissioning an artist or creative practice to help us celebrate. This is an exciting opportunity to creatively record the history of the MK Rose, designed by internationally renowned artist Gordon Young. The Commission will reflect the ten year journey of the MK Rose from concept to the present day and create a lasting legacy. We are keen to hear from artists or creative practices with a track record of engaging communities and creatively interpreting heritage. For further details about the Commission, measurable outcomes, budget and evaluation please click here. The closing date for expressions of interest has been extended and will now close on 5pm Monday 27 May 2024.
Continue reading “Now open – Artist Commission for the MK Rose 10th Anniversary”April 2024
In celebration of William Cowper Day on 26 April, Tom Jones, Chairman of the Cowper & Newton Museum, Olney has provided the Milton Keynes Rose with a reading William Cowper’s poem “On a spaniel called Beau killing a young bird”. The poem was recorded specially for the Milton Keynes Rose which contains a pillar to mark William Cowper Day. To watch the video click here
Continue reading “Celebrating William Cowper”March 2024
Great news for supporters of the Milton Keynes Rose. Donations up to £500 to the Milton Keynes Rose Trust have the opportunity to be match funded in the Milton Keynes Community Foundation Mad March Challenge . The challenge opens from 10am on Monday 18 March until 12pm on Sunday 31 March (or whenever the pot runs out—whichever comes first!). All donations must be made through our Localgiving fundraising platform as only donations made via Localgiving will be eligible to be matched.
Continue reading “Mad March Local Giving Challenge”March 2024
Friday 8 March 2024 is International Women’s Day and the theme for 2024 is Inspire Inclusion. The first International Women’s Day was held in March 1911. It is a day of collective global activism and celebration that belongs to all those committed to forging women’s equality. To mark the event Women in Enterprise and MK Community Foundation, in collaboration with NatWest are holding an event in support of MKCF Women’s Fund and Inspire Inclusion. The event will start at The Ridgeway Centre in the morning and move to the Milton Keynes Rose in the afternoon.
To find out more click here
March 2024
At 12 noon on Friday 1 March 2024, we will be celebrating St David’s Day, Patron Saint of Wales at the MK Rose. We are delighted to welcome, Linda Watkins who will sing the Welsh national anthem and lead an opportunity to learn to sing in Welsh. There will also be readings from Welsh poets read by students from Arts1 and traditional daffodils and Bara Brith will be distributed.
This is a free event and all are welcome to join us to wish each other a ‘Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus’ – ‘Happy St David’s Day’ in Welsh.
February 2024
Thursday, 22 February, is World Thinking Day – a day when 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts all over the world connect to shout about the things that they do.
The theme this year is Our World, Our Peaceful Future, and there will be an event at the Milton Keynes Rose in Campbell Park at 10.30 a.m. to reflect on this theme. This is a free event and all are welcome to join us.
January 2024
Holocaust Memorial Day 2024
A short event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day will be held at the Milton Keynes Rose at 2 p.m. on Saturday 27 January 2024.
The event will include readings and songs and a short silence to honour the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.
All welcome.
