I?m pleased to see that younger people are now able to get their Covid jab, following the eligibility age being lowered today to people over 21. This is great news and we are expecting that people over the age of 18 will be able to book their jabs from tomorrow too. As a city with a youthful population, this will be huge boost for our citizens. The more people who are vaccinated, the quicker we can start to get back to all of the things we were doing before the pandemic. Clearly, it was disappointing to see the move to Step Four on the roadmap delayed by four weeks ? but we have to stay safe. This will give us more time to ensure as many people as possible benefit from the protection offered by the vaccine.

While the current focus is young people, I would offer the following message to older people who are yet to be vaccinated: it?s not too late. Even though younger people are now coming forward for their jab, there is enough vaccine for everyone who wants one. If you?re still hesitant, take a moment to read through the frequently asked questions webpage compiled by the local NHS. If you?re over 40 in Nottingham, you do not even need to book? you can simply go along to one of the many vaccination centres in our city.

For people under 40, I would urge you to book an appointment as soon as possible here:. Let?s get vaccinated and get back to normal this summer.

We?ll be supporting Clean Air Day once again tomorrow. It?s an annual campaign run by Global Action Plan to improve public understanding of air pollution, how it affects our health, and what we can do to improve our air quality. We?ve been working on reducing air pollution in the city for many years, and this recent clip from BBC Breakfast gives a short summary of the measures we?ve taken.

Cleaner air is vital for public health, and that?s why we?re encouraging everyone to make a pledge to try something different tomorrow ? maybe leave the car at home and walk or cycle to school or for shorter journeys, or take the bus or tram if you?re travelling a bit further.

We?re doing what we can to make it easier and safer to choose greener options, including making permanent 14 car-free School Streets across the city, continuing to support renewably-powered public transport, and offering electric van and e-cargo bikes on trial to local businesses. Choices that improve our air quality often result in lower carbon emissions too, helping to combat climate change and help us achieve our Carbon Neutral 2028 ambition.

Find out more about what we?ve done and what you can do at www.transportnottingham.com/cleanairday

We have had lots of interest this year about our efforts to create natural habitats across Nottingham for wildlife and nature to flourish. The council has been doing this for a number of years and we now have more than 750 hectares (roughly the size of 750 football pitches) of wildflower and meadow grass areas in our parks and green spaces.

We?re now working to identify and develop a further 250 hectares alongside the city?s roads and within residential areas. We set ourselves an initial target of 1,000 hectares to help make Nottingham a bee-friendly city and we?re well on the way to that. This is on top of the 10,000 trees we?ve planted with local partners over the past few years.

These meadows provide and support a range of wildlife and are a valuable source of nectar for pollinating insects, while the road verges provide a pleasant green corridor through the City. It also saves us a bit of money on the fuel for our mowers!

Many people are still struggling in the face of rising bills and the pandemic. Nottingham City Council now has 500 vouchers that can help.

The Covid Local Support Grant Scheme is offering ?49 vouchers for electric, gas or water bills. They are available to anyone in Nottingham (on a first come first served basis until they run out.

People who are eligible:

• Are a Nottingham City Council resident
• Are receiving Council Tax support
• With OR without children
• Do not have more than ?50 credit on their prepayment metre
• For credit billing customers ? you must owe more than ?20 to your utility company

It excludes people who:

• Have received the self-isolation payment
• Have already received a support grant
• Have received a support grant from their utility supplier

To apply, you?ll need your name, address, council tax number and contact details. Call 0115 9556677 option 5 then option 6 (Mon ? Fri 9am -3pm)

Or, email with ?Fuel ?50 voucher? in the subject and your phone number to [email protected] and they will give you a call back