On Wednesday 18 June 2025, Defence Relationship Management was fortunate to be one of 107 partners and members of the Armed Forces community attending the Milton Keynes Blue Light Hub Armed Forces walk-in celebration for their first anniversary.
Held at the Blue Light Hub, these monthly walk-in sessions in Milton Keynes offer a welcoming space for veterans, reservists, those serving and their families to access support and connect with others in the Armed Forces community. Taking place on the third Wednesday of every month from 10:00 to 12:00, these sessions provide information on various services tailored for the Armed Forces community, including healthcare, mental health support, and housing assistance.
To mark this milestone, 33 organisations supporting the Armed Forces community, veterans, reservists, and their families gathered to celebrate over cake and coffee, and pizza donated by Dominos.
When the initiative launched last year, around a dozen veterans attended. Today, more than the double amount of veterans and reservists regularly participate in these events, receiving vital support to help them thrive in civilian life. Among the attendees were Mayor James Lancaster, Walking with the Wounded and Service Dogs UK, and the Royal British Legion. BetKnowMore and local AIB security were also present, both having recently been awarded the ERS Silver award.
The recently appointed Mayor of Milton Keynes, Cllr James Lancaster, said a few words about the event and the Blue Light Hub: “It is amazing to have a centralised hub where the three sectors (ambulance, fire service and police) come together. This allows for better communication between the services, enhancing the support provided to the Milton Keynes community. This hub represents the pinnacle of our efforts to create a community standard, a place where everyone can come and feel supported.
The Armed Forces Walk-in sessions are a wonderful example of how organisations in Milton Keynes come together to support the community. These sessions provide vital access to specialised advice for veterans, reservists and their families on employment opportunities, healthcare support, housing assistance and welfare benefits. By bringing together multiple support services under one roof, we’re removing barriers for the Armed Forces community who might otherwise struggle to navigate complex systems.”
Johanna “JJ” Hrycak, Armed Forces Covenant Support Officer at both Milton Keynes University Hospital and Milton Keynes City Council, and organiser of the sessions, said: “The Hub was set up when we realised veterans needed access to organisations in one place. It brings these groups together to collaborate and better support the Armed Forces community. We’re grateful to Tesco for providing food and Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service for hosting us so well every month. Invitations to partner organisations are carefully managed to ensure there is the right balance of services. I’m grateful to both my employers for their incredible support to the running of this event.
When we started a year ago, only a few organisations and around a dozen veterans joined the sessions. Since then, the Hub has grown steadily, with over 100 attendees now. We’re excited to keep building on this success and look forward to celebrating our two-year anniversary.”
The next walk-in session will be on 23 July.
If you are interested in attending or would like more information, please email: armedforcescovenant@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Find out how your organisation can support the armed forces community through the Armed Forces Covenant and Defence Employer Recognition Scheme:
• Defence Employer Recognition Scheme
• Armed Forces Covenant