It was great to be able to approve around ?2m of dedicated funding to support children in the city with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at Executive Board recently.

The money, from a Government grant, will be spent improving provision at two Nottingham primary schools, while a further six pupils with more complex needs will join Nethergate Academy Special School.

This is really important because, like all areas of the country at the moment, there is a real need for this kind of specialist support within our schools. We are currently consulting with partners and the public about a further ?16m to be spent on creating additional SEND provision in Nottingham.

Read more here

Last week, we attended The MJ Awards which celebrate successes in local government across the country. We were Highly Commended in the Innovation in Delivering Sustainability and Social Value category for our work to improve the energy efficiency of buildings across the city through our Greener HousiNG scheme.

We are proud to be paving the way for other local authorities with our retrofit projects which is helping us to lift residents out of fuel poverty and reduce the city?s carbon dioxide emissions at the same time. Between 2019 and 2022, we improved 1,036 homes with a range of measures including external wall insulation, solar panels and air source heat pumps.

We were also Highly Commended for a collaboration project with other Nottinghamshire local authorities in the Innovation in Partnerships category. We have worked together to deliver the Green Rewards programme which is helping residents across the county to reduce their carbon footprints. To encourage people to take action, the resident with the most points collected in the app can win monthly prizes!

You can get involved with Green Rewards by signing up now.

Nottingham Beach will be back at Old Market Square this summer, bringing the seaside to the city from Tuesday 25 July - Sunday 3 September 2023.

Entry is still free for visitors wanting to enjoy the beach and paddling area. You can book in advance for the Giant Slip ?n Slide, featuring 55m waterslide The Arrow, and Little John, a huge 6 lane waterpark. Tickets for hourly slots are priced at ?12.50 per person, and ?10.50 for Nottingham city residents (tickets must be booked online to get the resident discount code) ? book tickets here.

There will also be other rides and attractions including bungee trampolines and hook a duck, as well as food and drink stalls and the Beach Bar.

Read more: https://www.mynottinghamnews.co.uk/nottingham-beach-brings-the-seaside-to-the-city-this-summer/

Did you know that you can pop into dozens of cafes, pubs etc in Nottingham and get your water bottled refilled totally FREE, without an expectation to buy anything at all?

It's part of the Refill scheme, which helps cut down on unnecessary plastic waste.

For example, if you are near the Railway Station, 200 degrees, Starbucks and Costa will all fill your water bottle free.

The scheme operates in many places, so download the app to find places to refill on the go or look out for the refill sticker.

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/refill/id1137588733

When out and about enjoying the recent warmer weather, it?s good to be aware of ticks. You could be exposed whenever you spend time outdoors, including in the garden or local park.

This is important because some ticks carry disease, which?can be passed on to people and animals.

You can reduce the chance of bites by walking on clearly defined paths, using insect repellent and performing regular checks.

If you find a tick on your body, remove it safely by using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, being careful not to crush it, and pull upwards slowly and firmly. Once it has all been removed, including any mouthparts, clean the bite area with an antibacterial wash or soap and water, and monitor it for several weeks for any changes.

If you begin to feel unwell with flu-like symptoms, persistent headache, confusion, or develop a spreading circular red rash please contact your GP or NHS 111.

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