Tomorrow (Thursday 22 June) marks 75 years since HMT Empire Windrush arrived in the UK with hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean. Stepping off the boat were children, mothers and fathers who became known as the Windrush generation.

This is a chance to come together and celebrate this shared history and a great opportunity to thank the Windrush Generation for overcoming great sacrifice and hardship and celebrate their descendants who have gone on to lead the field across Nottingham?s public life, in business, the arts and sport.

As the City Council?s first female black Deputy Leader, I am looking forward to celebrating my own heritage throughout June and joining friends and partners, including Reverend Clive Foster, who recently received an MBE for services to the Windrush Generation. Events throughout the month include:

• Thursday 22 June -?Civic Service Livestream?from 10.30am at Binks Yard, Island Quarter, NG2 3JL (near the BBC roundabout off London Road)
• Thursday 22 June - Lunch & Entertainment ? Binks Yard, Island Quarter at 1pm
• Thursday 22 June ? 1:30pm ? 3:30pm - Industrial Voices of Windrush Nottinghamshire by historian Norma Gregory on Thursday 22nd June at Mapperley Plains Recreation & Social Club, Plains Road, Mapperley NG3 5 RH.?Also online event
• Saturday 24 June ? Windrush Cuisine & International Celebration Binks Yard Island Quarter - 2pm-9pm
• Sunday 25 June ? Commemorative Gospel Service ? Binks Yard, Island Quarter at 3.30pm
• Monday 26 June ? Windrush Exhibition
• Friday 21 July & Saturday 22 July ? Echoes of the front room exposed ? Bonnington Theatre?Echoes of the Front Room Exposed! ? The Bonington (boningtontheatre.co.uk)

I?m proud that among the first exhibitions at Nottingham Castle on its opening day is a collection of objects that help us as a city to mark the 75^th anniversary of Windrush Day.

Entitled ?70 Objeks & Tings,' it has been brought to the Castle by ?Museumand, the National Caribbean Heritage Museum,? in collaboration with Nottingham City Museums exhibition team. The exhibition is a fun and inspiring way to learn more about the Windrush Generation through the voices and collected objects of British-Caribbean families.

The exhibition will be available to view from the opening day on Monday (June 26) until 5 November. Along with all the other galleries, it will be included in the admission price of ?1 for the opening day, or ?12 for adults allowing year-round access, with accompanied kids aged 15 and below going free.

We are a diverse and welcoming city and families arriving here from the Caribbean have made a rich and lasting contribution to our city. It is important to keep their legacy alive for future generations and this exhibition will help us do that and celebrate this vital part of shared history and heritage.

More here

Black and mixed heritage children wait two months longer than average to be adopted from care, with delays caused because there are not enough black and mixed heritage adopters coming forward to adopt children from the same background.

They are among the 170 children a year that a new #YouCanAdopt campaign by Adoption East Midlands ? a group of Derby, Nottingham, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire local authorities ? aims to find adoptive families for.

The majority of children waiting for adoption come from specific groups repeatedly facing the longest delays in finding a home. These groups include children aged five or over, children with additional and/or complex needs, brother and sister groups, and those from a black and mixed heritage.

?To find out more, go to Adoption East Midlands | Adoption East Midlands.

At our Executive Board meeting yesterday, we agreed to proposals to make energy efficiency improvements to a further 370 social homes in Nottingham.

More than ?2.9m of Government grant funding has been secured following a successful consortium bid. This will see the City Council install a range of measures to the selected homes including cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation, loft insulation, draughtproofing and heating controls.

It?s fantastic that we have secured more funding to improve social homes in the city. We know that roughly 30% of the city?s carbon dioxide emissions come from heating and powering homes. As we strive to become the first carbon neutral city in the UK by 2028, it is vital that we find ways to improve the energy efficiency of our housing stock.

Not only do schemes like these help us to decarbonise the city, they are also an important part of our aim to tackle fuel poverty.

More here