Park People: Charlie, Milton Park Events Coordinator

With lots of events in the pipeline this year, we chatted to Charlie Hayes, Events Coordinator at Milton Park, who brings the community together through our range of engaging, interactive and informative events.  

What does your role as Events Coordinator at Milton Park involve?

With over 250 companies and 9,000 employees based at Milton Park, our community population is similar in size to a local town. It’s my job to create and deliver a bespoke calendar of social, networking and cultural events for our diverse community to come together.

When planning each event, I ensure that we highlight all the Park has to offer to those that work here, as well as its visitors and neighbouring communities, whilst reaffirming our message that Milton Park is a place where life and work connect.

What have you enjoyed most about your role since you started?

Adapting to my role as an events coordinator came with some challenges, especially in the wake of the pandemic, but I’ve found it incredibly rewarding to play a part in bringing people together once again for shared social experiences.

It’s always rewarding to give something back. Recently, we arranged free coffee vouchers and chocolate coins for the Lunar New Year and free smoothies on Blue Monday. See above for an image of myself with Alex Crêpes, celebrating Pancake Day at the Park by giving out 300 free crêpes to our occupiers.

It may sound cliché but it’s a role I truly love and so it doesn’t feel like a job to me at all. I’m also grateful to work with an excellent team of people who are equally committed to helping make Milton Park a great place to be.

What events are coming up at the Park?

We’re currently organising a street party to mark the upcoming Coronation of King Charles. We’ve been working with a wide range of street food traders, as well as our friends at the Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot, which will be showcasing some brilliant street performers – making the day as memorable as possible for all in attendance.

So, please spread the word and join us on Wednesday 26 April at Milton Park’s Jubilee Avenue to enjoy a day full of delicious food, live music and entertainment. It’s open to everyone, whether you work on the Park or live nearby – more details to follow at this link.

More events coming up over the next few weeks include:

• Bike2Work – Wednesday 5 April 8.30-10am
• Hanging Basket Workshops – Thursday 20 April at a range of times
• Look out for more of our popular street food trucks throughout the summer around the Park

There are several projects we’re working on behind the scenes that we look forward to sharing with you, but can’t reveal yet. To stay updated, I recommend keeping an eye on the Park’s events page and signing up to our monthly e-newsletter to get all the latest news, as it’s announced.

How does your life and work connect at Milton Park?

I live just a short bus journey away in Didcot, so the Park’s £20 yearly bus pass is a huge benefit – both in terms of my carbon footprint, and for my wallet. I couldn’t recommend it enough. More tips on using the local bus services can be found here.

I also really enjoy the beautiful green areas at Milton Park – you can step out of any building on the Park and immediately be surrounded by trees and flowers – it’s something I really appreciate; especially as we head into spring and summer.

Talking of nature, I really enjoy working with our partners at Nurture Landscapes – we have an annual calendar of free events with them, connecting you with the environment. From meeting the bees at our beehives and hanging basket workshops, to biodiversity walks and wreath making at Christmas time, there’s something for everyone to enjoy and learn.

What do you enjoy most about being based at Milton Park?

Beyond working with my team, it must be the environment and general atmosphere at Milton Park – not only the green spaces, but also the sense of community, innovation and the range of incredible companies working on the Park.

For more information on events, please visit: www.miltonpark.com/events