Due to the lockdown restrictions our public realm teams, who keep Nottingham?s public spaces clean and green, have been operating within limited capacity. This has meant that the focus has been on core duties including cleansing, waste collection and essential grass cutting. I?m really pleased that we have been able to start bringing back services such as weed control, garden assistance (for Nottingham City Homes properties), regular grass cutting and parks maintenance. It?s a big ask to get round all the locations that need our attention, especially when we are still having to observe social-distancing measures and support colleagues who are self-isolating or shielding. I?d like to thank everyone for their patience as we strive to return to normal. ?

Although our ?new normal? will look intentionally a little different as we are actively nurturing wildflower planting on some of our roadside verges and parks to encourage bee-friendly habitats.

Today is Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) Day. I?m really proud that RSE Day was pioneered in Nottingham?s schools and has now become a national event. The day aims to celebrate positive work around relationships and sex education in schools and the wider community. Nottingham is a wonderfully diverse city that celebrates equality, inclusivity and respect and we believe it is important to have a positive conversation with children and young people about healthy, respectful and safe relationships.

The theme for this year is ?Books I Love About Love? which encourages children to read books that cover a broad range of life experiences to better understand each other. Due to social distancing requirements, like many other events, RSE Day has had to take place online with readings and workshops beamed into schools and homes across the city throughout the day. Visit RSE Day 2020 for a multitude of resources to inspire parents, carers and schools to carry on the conversation.