Tomorrow I am joining my co-councillors and local volunteers for a community litter pick in my ward to help make Sneinton, Bakersfield and Colwick cleaner places to live. One of the key priorities for the council is ensuring that we keep Nottingham clean and tidy and that neighbourhoods are as clean as the city centre.

In addition to the waste collection and street cleaning services the council provides, Nottingham is lucky to have thousands of people who take pride in their area and give up their time to help make our communities cleaner. There are over 4,500 Clean Champions who help keep our city clean and I would like to thank every one of them for what they do. If you want to be a Clean Champion, you can find out more www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/cleanchampions

Today I held my monthly meeting with Lilian Greenwood MP, Alex Norris MP and Nadia Whittome MP to discuss their work in Parliament as well as update them on the latest local issues.?

We discussed the potential for a second 'Levelling Up' funding bid and what opportunities there are for that in Nottingham. There are also several walking and cycling infrastructure projects planned soon which I updated our Members of Parliament on. We also discussed the ongoing issue of Government cuts to Local Government, and I am pleased that they will keep lobbying Government for fairer funding to Nottingham.

If there is anything you would like to raise with our Members of Parliament in Nottingham then you can find their contact details here -?https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/mps?

While we continue to have high rates of Covid-19 in our city, vaccinations offer the best defence against the virus. Anyone over the age of 12 can get their Covid jab and get protected. There are lots of opportunities this weekend ? every vaccination centre and clinic have staff who can talk through what is involved in getting vaccinated and answer any questions you might have.

• Young people aged 12-15 can go along to the Forest Recreation Ground with a parent or carer without an appointment on Saturday from 3pm-7.30pm or on Sunday from 8.20am-1.40pm.
• Anyone over 16 can just walk in to the Forest Rec without an appointment anytime from 8.30am to 7.30pm.?You can also find other walk-in sites here.
• If you?d like to book an appointment for a specific venue, day and time then you can?book online here.

It is not too late to get a first, second or booster jab. Even if you have recently contracted Covid-19, you can walk in or book an appointment 28 days after you tested positive. It is important you finish the course of the vaccine to make sure you have the best protection.

I would urge everyone to do this one important thing. Please take care of yourself and each other.

Tackling crime in Nottingham is one of our top priorities, so I?m pleased that Home Office funding has been secured through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for an extra 12 state-of-the-art surveillance cameras in our neighbourhoods.

Ten new fixed CCTV cameras and two cameras that can be moved throughout the city will be installed next month as part of the city's Safer Streets project, which aims to improve safety in the Arboretum and Lenton Triangle areas of the city. The cameras will be monitored at the council's CCTV control room in Radford, which has direct access to Nottinghamshire Police via radio link. People should feel safe living in or visiting the city, the additional CCTV will help protect more of our residents and catch criminals.

Find out more about the camera locations here.

The Environment Agency has recently started work on building the largest fish pass in the country at Colwick Country Park. ?The new fish pass at Holme Sluices will provide ?18.6m of environmental benefits and improve the passage of salmon and coarse fish, such as barbel and chub, along the River Trent. The fish pass will enable species to access spawning habitat upstream, resulting in a richer fishery in the River Trent for anglers to enjoy. It will also provide educational and engagement opportunities for the local community and boost the local economy. Construction is expected to be completed in 2023.

There is a wide variety of activities available in our many parks across the city visit Parks and Open Spaces to find out more. Or visit Colwick Country Park to find out more about the opportunities for fishing there.

This weekend sees the annual Beat The Streets fund-raiser taking place across the city to raise money to support homeless people.

Organisers of the popular music festival have announced more than 50 local artists who will perform at various venues, including Rock City, the Rescue Rooms and The Bodega. It all gets under way at 1pm on Sunday and tickets cost ?8 with proceeds going to Framework.

Launched in 2018, Beat The Streets has brought together the Nottingham music community to raise awareness and funds for an important organisation, which does great work in the city in partnership with the city council. Unfortunately, the event last year had to be cancelled because of Covid but the three previous ones have seen more than 10,000 tickets sold, performances from Sleaford Mods and Jake Bugg, and an incredible ?270,000 raised to support homeless people and rough sleepers.

More information can be found here.