Autism awareness day- today

Were you aware?

Today is the 8th annual autism awareness day. Autism awareness day aims to help raise awareness of and fundraise to help increase knowledge of autism, highlighting the need to help improve the quality of life for those affected by autism. Recent studies found that around 80% of individuals who have autism are unemployed, so clearly more needs to be done to help and assist people into work.

'Light it up blue' is something which is taking place worldwide today, where landmarks around the world light up blue to raise awareness for autism. In London, Trafalgar square will be lit up to support the cause. Individuals are also being encouraged to 'light it up blue', at home, in school and in the office, by changing normal light bulbs to blue ones, tinting windows with gel sheets or by covering fixtures with blue gel fixtures. The 'light it up blue' logo can also be stuck up on walls, windows and buildings to help raise awareness. 

One of the main ideas of the day is to shine a light on autism and all those affected by it, and allow for the conversations to be started surrounding autism. It's also a great opportunity for people to learn a bit more about a topic which is often a bit taboo. 

In order to help raise awareness, we've got a few facts surrounding autism which you may not have been aware of before...

• Autism is identified as many as four times more often in males than in females. For asperger syndrome, which is a form of autism, the ratio is even higher, with around 10 males to every 1 female diagnosed. 
• While there has been an increase in the number of children receiving autism spectrum diagnoses, rather than mean autism is on the increase, it is more likely that the awareness and diagnosis has improved.
• Autism currently cannot be reliably diagnosed before the age of 2 years old. 
• Autism affects the ability to communicate with others, and relate to other people. People with autism often struggle in making sense of the world around them. These things can often cause high anxiety.
• People with autism struggle in social situations, namely with social communication, social interaction and social imagination, although they do like to have the company of others.
• Genetic factors play an influential role in the cause of autism
• Some individuals with autism have intellectual impairment, while others are often within, or above, the normal range.

Why not use today to brush up on your knowledge of autism, and maybe share that new information with others, to help change the view on those with autism and improve their quality of life. To get even more involved, why not join in with the 'light it up blue' movement, and use the hashtag '#LIUB' to share your pictures or posts.

Upcycled for you by a celebrity...

If you are a regular reader of the Phonebox magazine, you'll be aware of the 'upcyced' series, which gives different upcycling and recycling ideas each month. While researching some top ideas for you to try at home, we came across upcycling legend, entrepreneur and TV presenter, Max McMurdo. 

Max first become well known in 2007 when he appeared on the BBC2 programme, Dragons Den. His pitch of eco-friendly products saw him receive £50,000 to expand his business. Today, Max designs and creates a variety of upcycled products, with a contemporary and stylish feel while still being eco friendly. Looking at his work, it's inspiring to see how such stylish products can be made out of something old and previously disregarded as rubbish.

There's currently a competition which ends today, where you could get an item of your furniture of your choice transformed by Max himself. Maybe you want to turn a bookcase into a bench, or you've got an old bath that could become a new sofa, the possibilities are endless. Avoid having to get your DIY skills out, and have it done by a professional! For a chance to win, email a photo of the item you want upcycled with your phone number and information about the item by 6pm this evening, to this email address.

WHAT'S ON: Easter weekend (April 2nd-5th)

Scrumptious egg hunts and chocolate prizes for whole family

This Easter bank holiday there are a range of activities across Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire.

The Easter holidays mean different things to everyone, whether it be a time to eat as much chocolate as possible, a long weekend break from work or an important time in the religious calendar. Fancy getting out of the house? Try these events in the area. 

Easter egg hunts are taking place across the country this holiday, and Olney’s Cowper and Newton Museum (01234 711516) is no different with a trail until the 11th, alongside arts and crafts to keep youngsters busy. The clues are dotted around the museum and the centre of Olney, with a prize day for a Paddington Bear toy from Happy Days Top shop.

Further down the High Street, The Two Brewers is hosting an Easter fun day on the 3rd, with arts and crafts, a bouncy castle and face painting. 

Churches Together in Newport Pagnell are holding a procession and open air Service of Witness through the town on the same day. 

Hot cross buns and refreshments will be served in the Methodist Church afterwards. Easter Day Holy Communion will be held on Sunday morning (Newport-pagnell.org.uk). 

Children can become spies for the day at Bletchley Park throughout the holidays with a range of craft and Easter-themed activities at the site, including tours, trails, quizzes and collection handling. On the 6th, visitors can hunt for chocolate prizes in the Easter Eggstravaganza. 

Family Fun Wednesdays return to the site on the 1st and 8th, with under 12s getting free entry (bletchleypark.org.uk). MK Museum will be holding its own Easter egg hunt too (see our feature for full details). 

Lastly, The Park’s Trust egg hunt may be sold out but they are holding free themed fun and games on the 8th from 10am-2pm (theparkstrust.com).  

Northampton’s Abington Park Museum have a trail around the site, with treasure hunters winning a chocolate prize, from the 2nd-6th. The drop-in activity is just £1 per person (Northampton.gov.uk). The following day the museum is holding a nature-themed workshop where children can make their own caterpillar. 

The West Lodge Rural Centre is putting on its own Easter trail from the 4th-6th, with eggs hidden around the farm (westlodgeruralcentre.co.uk). For those wanting to head outside, Santa Pod is hosting the Festival of Power over the Easter weekend with drag racing, jet cars, stuns and air displays (santapod.co.uk). 

There’s the chance for children to sing, dance, recreate famous artworks and make their own Easter crafts at The Higgins in Bedford during the holidays (thehigginsbedford.org.uk) With holiday activities take place at 11am, 12, 2pm and 3pm. The town’s John Bunyan Museum is also offering a free Easter hunt until the 11th (bunyanmeeting.co.uk/museum). 

Until the 13th, there will be 25 places throughout Bedford with a picture of a bunny. If you find all of them you can win £100 worth of vouchers (lovebedford.co.uk). 

Further afield, the Roald Dahl Museum is putting on a range of spring-themed activities for families, including making crackling egg cups and  chirpy chicks (roalddahl.com). 

Anything we haven’t mentioned? Just get in touch on (01234) 713298.

Vital funding could mean bright future for MK Museum

Eggscellent - MK Museum is running its annual Easter egg hunt this April half-term holiday. 

Hidden from the spring sunshine by trees, the Milton Keynes Museum’s entrance is the front door of a farmyard house. To a first time visitor, it’s not that clear how big the site is until you step inside.

Parlour rooms littered with paintings and drawings of the 17^th century farm lead to a period style school classroom, complete with slate to write on and worn wooden desks. Following on, there is a warm farmhouse kitchen, complete with real fireplace, before visitors end up in an indoor High Street.

Shops have been painstakingly recreated, from groceries to medicines, there are objects as small as matchboxes to 6-foot high signs advertising products. There’s even a makeshift cinema and a Post Office (all created by the museum’s dedicated team of volunteers).

All without stepping foot outside, there’s a large barn dedicated to the area’s farming history, which leads onto the newest exhibition and activity gallery about human communication, Connected Earth. Elsewhere there is a transport gallery that features the world’s largest working phone and an enormous tram.

Needless to say, Milton Keynes Museum is bursting at the seams with activities for families, all relating to the history of the area. And following decades of hard work, it has been awarded a vital boost in funding from the Arts Council England. If they win the second stage, the council will give them a total of £7.2 million to renovate the site. 

Formed in 1973, the museum was a result of local people who wanted to collect items from farms and factories that were being closed down to build the new town. Volunteers bought the Stacey Hill Farm estate in Wolverton, with the long-term aim of building a museum. 

Today’s museum director, Bill Griffiths, says: “Milton Keynes had everything, but it didn’t have a museum. There was space here for expansion and changes, and people wanted to preserve their heritage.

“They had parents and grandparents who had lived in the area before the city was built. It’s part of their history and culture.”

After a fire in 1996 destroyed a lot of the grade II listed barn and cowshed, the past 15 years has focused on rebuilding the museum. Today, schools from the Milton Keynes area regularly visit the site, which saw nearly 30,000 visitors this year.

Bill adds: “The museum itself tells the story of the area’s heritage from the Victorians up until the start of the city. We all relate to the Victorian period because a lot of it is mechanical, we can see how it works, and we have a lot about farming too, although that can be more difficult to explain.”

This year, it announced plans for further expansion, funded by Milton Keynes Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Arts Council. They include two major galleries being added, with special exhibits featuring some of the town’s biggest success stories, including Red Bull Racing and The Open University. Due for completion in spring 2018, it would also focus on the area’s early history dating back to the Bronze Age.

“I think Milton Keynes is a fantastic city. It has so much green space and wildlife too,” explains Bill.

And residents’ stories will play an important part in the transformation.

“There are many stories that have their roots here and my view is that museums should reflect the people who visit them.

“We want people to contact us with stories. Most of the time they won’t have that opportunity. It’s difficult to get to people and hear everyone’s story, if we don’t know we can’t do anything about it.”

Bill adds: “We are here to interest those who are just finding out about the world. If we are boring we won’t encourage that.”

For more information on Milton Keynes Museum and the expansion go to miltonkeynesmuseum.org.uk.

Easter activities

Milton Keynes Museum is putting on its annual Easter egg hunt this half term, with youngsters invited to hunt for treasure and unlock the way to chocolate prizes. Everyone wins something in the traditional game, and opening hours will have been extended ready for the summer. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am until 4.30pm, until October. Normal admission prices apply for the Easter hunt, which lasts from Friday until Monday (April 3^rd-6^th). 

Win a family ticket to Milton Keynes Museum

Fancy paying the site a visit? We’ve teamed up with the museum to give away a family ticket (two adults and up to four children) to visit for a day. All you have to do is answer this simple question:

What concrete animals are commonly associated with Milton Keynes?

A. Cats

B. Cows

C. Chickens

All you have to do is send your answer, name, address and daytime contact number to competition@phoneboxmagazine.com or MK Museum Competition, Phonebox Magazine, Unit 2 Stanley Court, Olney, Bucks, MK46 5NH. The closing date is April 22^nd.

A Knights' trail- Discover the sculptures of Northampton

If you're looking to get out of the Milton Keynes area during the Easter holidays, then why not pay a visit to Northampton?

Since the 23rd March until the end of August, 'A Knight's Trail' features six large-scale Medieval knight sculptures, which are currently dotted around the town, to create the knight's trail, with each of the knights depicting the historical details of the English knights from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. These periods have been chosen as they relate to significant events in Medieval England and Northampton, such as: The signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, the Second Barons' War in 1264, the start of the Hundred Years' War in 1337, the last Parliament held at Northampton Castle in 1281 and the Battle of Northampton in 1460.

All the sculptures of the knights have been carved from huge trunks by a group of three chainsaw artists, Daniel Cordell, Simon O'Rourke and Hue Thomas, who have exhibited around the world and won a number of prestigious commissions, including ones at Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and more.

A great idea for a day out with the family, you could do it as a race or just enjoy a walk through the town, taking photos of the knights as you go. Follow the map below to discover where the various sculptures of the knights will be, as well as a sculpture of the Borough crest. Maps can be picked up from various points around the town, at the Tourist Information Centre, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery and Grosvenor Shopping Centre.

Earth Hour- Tonight at 8.30pm

'Earth Hour' is a charitable organisation, and runs the 'lights off' event which began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia. Since then it has grown in size and now incorporates 162 countries and territories worldwide. Earth Hour is now the world's largest public environmental action, encouraging people to take responsibility for caring for the world in which we live.

Earth Hour this year takes place tonight, 28th March, at 8.30pm. The project aims to create worldwide environmental and social impact. Earth hour isn't just for the hour; the idea of the 'lights out' event is to join hundreds of millions of people across the globe in switching off the lights for an hour but also to think more long-term about how they can help the environment.

Earth Hour is about making a commitment to ongoing change in reducing the impact we have on the environment. Some of the longer-term ways of doing this include:

• Turning off non-essential lights
• Installing energy saving lights and devices i.e. timers on lighting
• Switching your property's electricity to Gold Standard Green Power
• Making use of recycling
• Installing rainwater collecting tanks for watering gardens and lawns.

This Earth Hour why not get involved at the centre:mk, as the centre:mk and their employees will join in the event by switching off the lights of the business premises for one hour. During this time they will be acknowledging their commitment to personal and operational actions which will benefit the planet in the year ahead. Participating in Earth Hour is a great way to join the community in caring for our future and working towards finding solutions for environmental changes. Various places around the world will be taking part, and as well as the centre:mk in Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre will also be turning out their lights, during The Woman in Black show, making it even more scary!

If you can, do get involved in turning out your lights for this hour, while remembering that fighting climate change and protecting the environment needs to be a daily thing, and turning off lights, recycling and other small steps can really make a difference. Find out more by watching the official video below.

What to do this Easter holidays...

There are numerous activities and events to get involved with in and around Milton Keynes this Easter holidays. As the weather starts to brighten up and we can begin to venture outside, the numerous canal, wood and park walks are always something free and fun to do. For something a little more organised, we've collected a selection of events that are going on this Easter to give you a few ideas of what you could do and where...

Frosts Garden Centre, Woburn Sands

Saturday 28th March-Saturday 4th April, anytime from 10am-4pm: There will be a bunny hunt around the centre, as well as some Easter egg fun- children will be able to decorate their own chocolate Easter egg with some sweets, and will finish their activities with an activity sheet and a glass of squash. The activity lasts around 25 minutes and children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets cost £5.99 per child.

The National Museum of Computing

Wednesday 1st- Sunday 12th April, from 12 noon-5pm: Digital fun and games for all the family, including: LEGO robots, mine craft, codeability- introducing youngsters to coding, FUZEliers to help control robots and many retro computer games.

Bletchley Park

Monday 30th March- Sunday 5th April and 7th-12th April from 9am-5pm: Fun activities over the Easter holidays for the whole family. See if you've got what it takes to be a Bletchley Park Codebreaker. Different activities each day, including craft and spy workshops, children's guided tours, trails, quizzes and more.

Intu Milton Keynes

Tuesday 31st March: For those of you with young children, you'll probably be well aware of the CBeebies' animated series 'Kate & Mim-Mim'. Mim-Mim will be paying children a visit this Easter at intu Milton Keynes. Children will have the chance to meet their favourite bunny, learn some bunny-hop movies and take part in some fun games, as well as getting a bunny hug with Mim-Mim himself. Mim-Mim will be making appearances at 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, lasting for 30 minutes each time. Children can pick up their very own CBeebies activity booklet. Tickets for the meet and greet are  FREE and available by clicking here, additional tickets will be available on the day on a first come, first served basis.

Saturday 4th & Thursday 9th April : Have your face painted for free at intu Milton Keynes.

Tuesday 7th April: Come and have a go at some circus skills, and learn how to plate spin and juggle!

Friday 10th & Saturday 11th April: Pit stop challenge with Formula Fast Karting. Change the wheels in the fastest time to win a prize.

Newport Pagnell:

Good Friday, 3rd April: Come and join the Churches Together Newport Pagnell on a procession down the high street, with drama, music and readings. Meet outside the Parish Church and ending at Market Hill.

Gulliver's land 

Sunday 5th & Monday 6th April: This Easter there are two special days of Easter entertainment. Enjoy the Easter egg hunt, the big bunny bounce, meet the Easter bunny and see the Easter bunny parade- if you wear an Easter bonnet you'll get a £1 voucher to spend within the park.

MK Gallery

There will be a number of sessions throughout the Easter holidays, including 'start the art' sessions on Tuesdays from 11am-12noon, and Saturday mini makers sessions from 1-2pm and 2-3pm. These artist-led creative sessions are free, but places are limited and can be booked on the gallery website. 

Milton Keynes Council

Thursday 2nd April, 10.30am-12 noon and 2-3.30pm: Kids' recycling factory tour. A fun and free event where children aged between 7 and 14 can join the council's recycling team for a fun-filled morning at the factory to learn about recycling, tour the factory and make their own recycled item to take home. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Booking essential, click here to book a place.