Monday will see us all take another important step on the road to recovery from Covid-19 as we move to the next checkpoint on the roadmap to unlocking our country.

It?s really important that we continue to follow these rules. The only way we will progress further along the different stages of the roadmap is if we can continue to keep the number of cases of Covid-19 as low as possible. None of the future steps are guaranteed ? and the dates hang in the balance.

Moving to the next stage is welcome, but please remember that Covid-19 is still present in our city and we must still take all necessary steps to stop the spread of the virus. That means still observing the guidance on ?Hands, Face, Space? and also getting a test if we have symptoms of Covid-19 by calling 119. We all have a part to play in this to ensure that our city and our country can return to normal as soon as possible.

From Monday, the rule changes will include:

• We are no longer being asked to ?Stay at Home? ? but we must still try to minimise the number of journeys we make and continue to work from home wherever possible. Holidays away from home are still not allowed
• Outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed. This includes in private gardens. However, separate households will still not be allowed to mix indoors
• Outdoor sports facilities, such as tennis courts, can be used and people can take part in formally organised outdoor sports
• Outdoor parent and child groups can meet with up to 15 people

I am pleased to announce that we have secured further grants to provide holiday activities and food to pupils who are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) over the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays of 2021.

The Government?s Covid Winter Grant Scheme has been extended until after the Easter holidays. This means supermarket vouchers will again be provided to every eligible child in Nottingham this Easter. The vouchers will be ?15 per child for each week of the holiday. These will be distributed through schools before pupils break up for the Easter holiday.

We have also worked to secure a further ?1.8m from the Government?s Holiday Activity Fund (HAF). This funding will be allocated, through a bidding process, to community groups, charities and schools with the ability to deliver Holiday Clubs in communities across the city. Some activities will also be trialled over the Easter break. If you?d like more information please see details here: www.mynottinghamnews.co.uk/free-school-meal-vouchers-available-this-easter/

News that we have secured ?12 million to begin demolishing part of the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre is something I am pleased to see has been welcomed across the city. The funding from D2N2 and the Transforming Cities Fund will demolish the western side of the centre, from the walkway joining Lister Gate and Collin Street to the NCP Arndale Car Park with new public spaces in the area part of the initial plans as we work through a vision for the rest of the site.

The Broadmarsh area has seen a number of dramatic changes, including new, modern buildings like the new Car Park, Bus Station and Central Library and the Nottingham College City Hub, as well as the restoration of historic shop frontages in the area, including on Carrington Street to further enhance this gateway to the city, with more to come on Wheeler Gate.

Our colleagues at the Island Quarter hosted a presentation from Professor Carlos Moreno, author of the ?15 Minute City?, which suggests urban spaces should have a range of uses. I was pleased that Nottingham seems to have plenty of the ingredients for a 15 minute city, with our commitments to being a carbon neutral city by 2028, renewed focus on green spaces and our lively city centre. I look forward to the Island Quarter contributing to our city, with work well underway on the banks of the canal.

It was great to see that Nottingham based charity Himmah was the beneficiary of a ?10,000 donation from The Duchess of Sussex. This kind donation will go a long way to helping tackle food poverty in our city.

I would like to thank my colleague, Cllr Sajid Mohammed, who is involved in the running of Himmah, for all the work he and the charity do locally to provide food to those who need it as well as campaigning on other important issues such as mental well-being, community cohesion and tackling social exclusion.

The pandemic has further exposed and increased the level of food poverty in Nottingham and the country as a whole. We will continue to support and promote foodbanks and other local charities working in Nottingham to get food to those who need it. Nottingham has an established network of foodbanks and Social Eating Spaces; find out how to access or support your local one