We were delighted this week to learn the council had been successful in its application for more than ?685,000 of funding to bring Green?s Windmill back to working order.

The grant was secured by our Museums Service from the national Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND) and it will be spent on repairs to the mill sails, stock, clamps, fantail, internal machinery, timber and brickwork, as well as repair of the mill cap on the roof.

Built in 1807 to help feed Nottingham?s growing population during the Napoleonic War, it was famously the home of George Green, the owner?s son from 1841, who devised the Green?s Theorem ? a mathematical equation still used today.

It opened in 1985 as a museum, working windmill and science centre and since then has been a cultural heart of the local community in Sneinton.

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You will get the chance to vote for the first-ever Mayor for the East Midlands Combined County Authority when elections take place on Thursday 2 May

Nottingham City Council, Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council have opened the door to ?4billion of investment in transport, skills, housing and the environment after securing a deal for a new East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA). It will be led by a Mayor, similar to areas like the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire.

The East Midlands deal is one of the biggest so far, and the Mayor will have the powers and resources currently held by Westminster to invest over the long-term in priorities like transport, skills, housing and regeneration and net-zero.

It will collaborate with councils but will not duplicate what they do or provide services that are best delivered locally. The EMCCA is being funded by government and will not take money away from existing council budgets.

How to vote for the Mayor?

Elections are being held on Thursday 2 May. You will also get the chance to vote for the next Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner on the same day.

Register to vote

To vote for the new Mayor and the PCC, you need to be registered to vote by 11:59pm on Tuesday 16 April. You can register here - www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Apply to vote by post

Anyone who is registered to vote can apply to vote by post. The deadline for postal votes is 5pm on Wednesday 17 April. You can now also apply to vote by post online at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote

Apply for a proxy vote

Anyone who is registered to vote can appoint someone they trust to vote on their behalf as a proxy. Deadline to make an application for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April. You can apply to vote by proxy online at www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote

Find out more information about the new combined county authority and how you can vote for the Mayor here: www.eastmidlandsdevolution.co.uk

If you want to keep up to date with the new Combined Authority, you can follow it on social media on Facebook, X, or Instagram.

A new regional fostering hub for the East Midlands launched this week.

The collaboration between councils in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire has been made possible after the D2N2 authorities secured ?1.626m in national funding.

The four councils successfully applied last year to join the Department for Education?s Fostering Recruitment and Retention programme. Derby City Council is leading on the project, receiving the funding to implement the regional hub.?

The DfE Recruitment and Retention Programme aims to increase the recruitment of foster carers and provide the support carers needed to continue in the role. With more carers in children?s own communities, fewer young people would need to be placed in unfamiliar areas.??

Foster for East Midlands is a recruitment hub which will engage with prospective foster carers from their initial enquiry through to submission of their full application. The funding will also help improve the support available for existing foster carers across the region, empowering them to create loving, stable homes for children in need.

For more information on fostering, call 03033 132950 or email: www.fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk

We?re looking forward to a new programme of open-air theatre at our stunning heritage venues this summer ? Wollaton Hall, Newstead Abbey, and Nottingham Castle.

There's something for everyone, from new adaptations of classic stories, to family-friendly performances. Audiences can enjoy the traditional stories of Romeo & Juliet, Little Women, Beauty & The Beast, and Robin Hood, as well as a new comedy about Henry VIII, plus live music and puppetry in Angelica Sprocket?s Pockets.

Tickets are on sale now. See what?s on at: Wollaton Hall | Newstead Abbey | Nottingham Castle

A reminder that on-street Robin Hood network machines will no longer be operational from the start of April.

Pay-As-You-Go cards can be topped up using the Robin Hood Ticketing App, using a tram stop ticket machine, in person at the Nottingham Travel Centre or online (you will need to validate online transactions).

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After a national programme which has helped 87 local businesses and other groups to add EV chargers, bike racks, e-bikes and other green travel changes to their sites, came to an end, the council has now secured a new source of funding via the Government?s Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport Block.

That means we?re looking for even more local businesses, groups, charities and public-sector organisations to think about what green travel improvements they could benefit from and then apply via our friendly team.

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We were very sorry to learn today of the passing of Nottingham Forest legend, Larry Lloyd.

The Bristol-born centre-half was in integral part of the club?s phenomenal success during the late 1970s, including Forest?s European Cup triumphs of 1979 and 1980. Our thoughts are with his friends, family and the club at this time.