Today was the first day of the Big Vax-the-Nation Weekend where people are being encouraged to walk-in to any vaccination centre without an appointment to get the Covid-19 vaccine. It runs until Monday, with all vaccination sites open from 8am-8pm. Anybody over 18 can get their vaccine this weekend and if you had your first jab on or before April 30th you can walk in too and get your second jab. This is hugely important ? the NHS hopes the flexibility this offers will allow more people to pop in to get their jab.

Vaccinations are available from:

• Forest Recreation Ground
• King?s Meadow Campus on Lenton Lane
• Queen?s Medical Centre
• Richard Herrod Centre in Carlton

Other sites are available in the wider county too. For site and other related information visit Nottingham and Nottinghamshire?s Big Vax-The-Nation Weekend

Anyone travelling by tram to the vaccination centres at the Forest Recreation Ground and Queen?s Medical Centre to get a jab this weekend can use NET?s ?2.50 event ticket. These can be bought from ticket machines and provide a return fare at a fraction over the cost of a day ticket.

Armed Forces Day provides the perfect opportunity for us to take a moment to acknowledge their dedication and commitment. We remember the sacrifices they have made over many generations, and continue to make.

Ahead of Armed Forces Day tomorrow, the council has created a one-stop-shop website to help Army veterans from Nottingham to access support services. Supporting Veterans of the Armed Forces provides advice on a range of areas, including housing, employment, education or health concerns. We have a proud history of support for the Armed Forces and the local men and women who have served their country; along with Nottinghamshire County Council, the City Council became one of the first to sign an Armed Forces Covenant in 2013 pledging practical help for military communities.

We hope that by bringing support services together on a single page on the Council?s website, we can make it as simple as possible to access a host of local support services for veterans.

Find out more about Armed Forces Day

The Council House will be lit red, white and blue on Saturday night to mark the occasion.

If there were silver linings to lockdown restrictions, the one most people agree on was the lack of traffic on our roads. We enjoyed more peaceful, safer streets and cleaner air.

As we see traffic return to pre-Covid levels, we?re encouraging people to try public transport instead, to reduce air pollution in the city and congestion on our roads. Nottingham has a fantastic integrated green public transport network, including the world?s largest fleet of biogas double deck buses, and electric trams powered only by renewable energy.

As people start travelling more for work and social activities, NET has recently launched a Trust the Tram campaign. The tram has been running throughout the pandemic, with extra cleaning of vehicles and stops, social distancing and face covering guidance helping to reassure passengers they can travel safely.

A full service is running, leaving plenty of options for less busy trams, with more than 5,000 free parking spaces available at park and ride sites across the city, easy access for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and connections with bus and train services.

There?s also a contactless ticket option, with people able to buy their tickets via the NETGO! app, and the introduction of a rewards scheme that supports local businesses through exclusive offers for tram customers.

I?m looking forward to seeing even more exciting improvements over the next few months that will all make travelling by tram even easier, including the ability to top up Robin Hood cards at tram stops across the network.