Fresh from successive sell-out events over the Coronation weekend and for Eurovision, the grounds of Nottingham Castle are set to host another affordable family day out.

For the third bank holiday weekend in May, Saturday 27?Monday 29, the City Council has announced a Medieval Legends event which will give visitors a chance to meet Robin Hood himself, have a go at archery and enjoy medieval re-enactments.

Entry will be just ?1 per day, giving visitors of all ages a chance to rediscover the castle grounds before the site?s full reopening in June...watch this space for an update on that very soon.

In the meantime get your tickets for the Medieval Legends event here: www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/whats-on/medieval-legends-at-nottingham-castle-p675641.

As part the International Day Against homophobic, biphobic or transphobic hate in our society I want to reiterate my unwavering support for the LGBT community in Nottingham. In Nottingham we are proud to support inclusive Relationship and Sex Education as well as groups such as the City Council?s LGBT Employee Network who promote equality in our workplace.

I was honoured to speak in support of trans people living in our city and beyond and I am looking forward to marching with friends at Nottingham Pride later this summer on Saturday 29 July and I hope to see many of you there also.

Can you help support Dementia Action Week (15 -22 May), an annual campaign organised by the Alzheimer?s Society to raise awareness of the condition? This year, the campaign aims to help encourage individuals and their families to recognise the symptoms and seek diagnosis.

Dementia is not a natural part of ageing and is caused when a disease damages nerve cells in the brain. The word 'dementia' is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia.?

The symptoms may be relatively mild at first, but they get worse over time and include:

• Memory loss
• Confusion and needing help with daily tasks
• Problems with language and understanding
• Changes in behaviour.

Recognising the signs and getting a diagnosis is really important, to enable those living with dementia, their families and carers to access the vital support they need. To check your symptoms, understand where to get support or to find out about events happening across the city this week, visit: https://www.mynottinghamnews.co.uk/alzheimers-societys-dementia-action-week-could-you-recognise-the-symptoms/

I would like to offer my thanks to Council staff on completing improvements to Bulwell Bus Station. The improved station is again open for local residents to travel to and from and includes:

• Safer, energy efficient passenger waiting facilities?
• Improved accessibility for wheelchairs?
• Multiple seating options for people with different mobility needs?
• Improved efficiency for bus operators?
• A more welcoming feel and overall environment?

The feedback from local residents has been really positive and I am pleased to hear so many people like the new look.? As a local authority we will continue to seek opportunities like the Transforming Cities Fund to make help regenerate our neighbourhoods.

More here

Next Monday I will be stepping down as Deputy Leader of Nottingham City Council.

I moved to Nottingham from Mansfield in the early 90s and, after a spell in Birmingham, moved back to bring up our kids here. I?ve always known Nottingham as a hardworking city where people stand by each other. I know from first-hand experience that struggling to make ends meet is stressful and takes a toll on your health and that has always been core to my approach ? knowing that money impacts on nearly every part of our lives.

That?s why I have been so keen to share links to money advice in these columns and worked to put the financial wellbeing of Nottingham people right at the centre of our Health and Wellbeing work, whether in getting partners signed up to prioritise keeping the ?Nottingham pound? circulating in our economy or linking up money advice and access to jobs. I?m really proud that the work Cllr Sally Longford led on around the carbon neutral agenda, was pursued with both the climate crisis and the household budgets of our city in mind, whether delivered through insulation, accessible public transport or energy saving advice.

Since becoming a member of the Executive in 2019 I have had the privilege of working on some of the most significant issues during some of the most challenging times. I am proud that despite the difficulties I have had the chance to serve our city and make decisions that prioritise the things that matter to people in our city, such as support with the cost-of-living, more affordable homes and help into work and training and tackling the climate emergency. These are the key aims for the council going forward and I look forward to supporting the new Executive in pursuing these as a local ward councillor for Sherwood, the ward I both live in and represent. I am particularly excited about working to get Nottingham to be a Real Living Wage city. I believe in a fair day?s pay for a fair day?s work. It would be good for Nottingham families, good for Nottingham?s businesses and would help tackle health inequalities that stem from economic inequalities. I would like to thank you all for your support during my time as Deputy Leader and for reading my weekly updates. Your regular correspondence from this channel has been very helpful and I am very grateful for it. As well as working with you on the issues that matter, it?s a great privilege to work alongside council staff. Their knowledge, skill and commitment to people in this city is outstanding and we cannot thank them enough for keeping us going in the pandemic and beyond.