Take-up of vaccines is slowing around the country and is lower in Nottingham than many other places. If you or anyone you know hasn?t yet been vaccinated, we need you to step up to do your bit for everyone around you, as well as yourself. You need both doses of the Covid vaccination for the best protection and can now get your second appointment eight weeks after your first. There are plenty of walk-in clinics where the procedure is quick, painless and safe.

If you?re a cricket fan and need extra incentive, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group is offering people a chance to win tickets to watch cricket at Trent Bridge by grabbing a jab this week. Anyone who has their first vaccination at one of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire sites as a walk-in or pre-booked appointment between Monday 9 and Sunday 15 August, are eligible to enter the draw for tickets to see the Royal London Cup Final on Thursday 19 August 2021 at Trent Bridge.

I?m pleased that people living in parts of Lenton, Hyson Green and the Arboretum will benefit from action to tackle burglary which is a particular issue there. The work is being funded from a ?432,000 grant from the Government?s Safer Streets Fund and will be used in a range of ways, including:

• Free security upgrades such as new locks, alarms and CCTV at up to 500 homes
• Free video doorbells to up to 375 student properties
• Installation of CCTV camera in Bridlington Street Park which will be live-monitored at the City Council?s CCTV control room
• A Burglary Reduction Officer post to liaise with burglary victims/neighbours to undertake risk assessments
• Recruitment of Community Champions through Nottingham City Council to engage with wider community and student population.

No one should have to live in fear of their home being targeted by burglars, and the council will work with the Police and Crime Commissioner and Nottinghamshire Police to deliver real change in those neighbourhoods to help make residents feel safer.

This announcement comes after a shop keeper and the police praised the City Council?s CCTV operators for helping to apprehend a burglar at the weekend.

Our CCTV team, working through the night, spotted a break-in taking place at a city-centre shop and immediately raised the alarm through the police radio. Officers responded swiftly and the CCTV operators were able to direct them straight to the suspect, who was detained and around ?1,000 of stolen items returned.

It?s another great example of the excellent partnership working that?s underway to keep our city safe.

As ever, the council is also working hard to keep our streets clean, as well as safe. Our crews are working hard to deal with a situation in some parts of the city where rubbish is thoughtlessly being dumped in the streets. We have been taking action by sending plain-clothes Community Protection Officers in, with the intention of catching people in the act of dumping rubbish in the streets outside properties. The aim is to positively engage with residents and landlords about their responsibilities, but, where appropriate, we will take enforcement action.

We will also do our best to clear the rubbish but our frontline services are under increasing pressure because of Covid and related self-isolation. This is especially true of the Waste teams and we continue to appeal for people to bear with us and not make the situation worse. Dumping rubbish in the street is not acceptable and presents an obstacle and hazard for others. Making use of our free bulky waste collections or our recycling centre at Lenton are just two obvious alternatives.

If you?re already running out of ideas to entertain the kids during the school holidays, don?t despair ? there?s plenty of options in Nottingham, and the weather is due to start improving this week. Why not try:

• Look Up Adventure Trail in the city centre - The trail takes you around the city to answer questions, complete challenges and discover clues hidden in plain sight
• Splash Park at Bulwell Bogs ?- Cool off at our free water splash park, which is also easy to get to from other areas of the city via bus and tram
• Go on a tree treasure hunt - There are nine tree trails free to download on our website. Why not use one to go on a tree treasure hunt in one of our parks, learning about the trees and their history. Did you know that Victoria Park is home to a maple tree dating from 1873? ?

And don?t forget ? there are still free holiday club sessions running all over Nottingham. They aren?t only for primary age children ? sessions are available for 11-16s too. All provide free packed lunches. While priority is given to children who get them, some free places are also available for children who aren?t eligible for Free School Meals.

To find a free Holiday Club near you and book, check out www.asklion.co.uk/funandfood