Today is the start of Carers Week and this year there is a particular focus on unpaid carers. We know there will be many people who look after a family member, but don?t consider themselves to be carers. A carer can be young or old ? a child or young person under 18 can also be a carer. For anyone who is an unpaid carer, there is a network of support and advice available. We want people to know that they are not alone, especially during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis when we feel more isolated and vulnerable than ever before. The stresses of current circumstances mean that more than ever, carers need to look after themselves as well as the person they care for.

If you are a carer or know someone who is, you may find the following support networks helpful.

• Nottinghamshire Carers Hub - https://nottinghamshirecarershub.org
• Carers UK - https://www.carersuk.org ?
• Action for Young Carers (Nottingham) - https://aycnottingham.co.uk

I would like to say a big thank you to all of Nottingham?s carers, the commitment and dedication to helping others during this pandemic has been phenomenal. Whether it?s part of someone?s role or a voluntary action, the last few months have really shown that in Nottingham, when people are in need, we come together and help each other out.

The COVID-19 crisis has affected young people in particular and we recognise that now more than ever, many young people may need extra support to find work. Nottingham Works is a support service for 16 to 29 year old city residents who are not in education, employment or training. With partners all over Nottingham, there?s plenty of help available to help young people gain confidence plus get into education, training and employment. Find out more by contacting Nottingham Jobs on 0115 876 4508, you can find out more at Nottingham works

The large numbers attending Sunday?s well-organised protest show the depth of feeling about this very important issue. We?re pleased that those attending generally heeded the advice on social distancing and staying safe.

The City Council and its partners need to do their best, recognising that this is an ongoing struggle to fix the inequalities that go to the heart of ensuring we have a fair and just society. While it was disappointing that, away from the protest, there was an isolated incident of graffiti on the Council House, that?s been dealt with and shouldn?t detract from the peaceful nature or the purpose of the protest itself. The teenagers who tried to clean the graffiti themselves deserve our praise and are much more representative of most young people in the city.

Our recent Citizen Survey showed us that 93 per cent of people in Nottingham feel people of different backgrounds get on well together; this was certainly very evident in Sunday?s peaceful protest.