There are lots of great activities in the city over the half-term holiday - see some suggestions below. However, we still have high cases of Covid-19 in our city, so I would urge everyone to continue taking steps to stay safe.

Face coverings are an effective way of helping to reduce the spread of viruses. A person wearing a face covering is less likely to pass on airborne Covid particles to another person ? and even less so if the other person is also wearing a face covering. When face masks are worn alongside regular testing and getting vaccinated, we are able to keep Covid in check.

Please consider wearing one in busy indoor spaces such as shops and public transport ? even outdoors if you feel like you can?t maintain social distance from others. We all have a part to play in protecting each other so let?s keep going: let?s continue to take care of each other.

Reducing carbon emissions from transport is one of our key challenges to achieving a carbon neutral city by 2028, while cleaner air is also a top priority for the council. As part of this we?ve done a lot of work to encourage hackney taxi drivers to go green and clean up their fleets.

It?s a big change, and that?s why we secured funding from DEFRA?s Clean Air Fund to make it a bit easier, with up to ?3,191 of financial support still available to each driver switching to an ultra low emission vehicle. This includes contributions to vehicle licence fees and MOT over two years, insurance for the first year, meter installation and a new home charge point or preloaded charge card.

So far 34 drivers have made the switch after receiving our support, which is great news for them, and great for our environment, especially considering the challenges of the pandemic. The funding has to be allocated by the end of March, so we?re writing to all hackney taxi drivers in the city to make sure they can take advantage.

We?re continuing to trial innovative new technology to make greener taxis better for both drivers and passengers, including the WiCET project. Working with a number of partners, we?re testing wireless charging pads that could be laid on taxi ranks, meaning drivers don?t have to plug in.

Find out more about the financial support for hackney drivers at www.transportnottingham.com/driving/electric-taxis/support-for-cab-drivers/

It?s exciting that archaeologists and historians from the University of Nottingham are launching a project which will help feed into plans to redevelop the City of Caves as part of the wider transformation of Broad Marsh. The AHRC-funded City of Caves project brings together archaeologists and experts in urban history and landscape to carry out extensive work on historical records and maps, archaeological data, photographic archives and existing 3D laser scans of the caves which could be used in a new immersive VR caves experience.

They will also identify gaps in historical and geographical knowledge of the area that need to be filled. This follows the unveiling of the exciting new ten-year?vision?for the area, designed by Heatherwick Studio, to create a bio-diverse ?green heart? of the city incorporating some of the structural frame of the old Broadmarsh centre, landscaped public areas, new homes, workspaces, high quality hotel accommodation and a tourist trail from Nottingham Castle to a dramatic new entrance to the city?s caves network.

More info here

Next week is half-term in Nottingham. There are many free or great value things going on around the city to help you entertain the family.

• Half-term events at Green?s Windmill
• Half-term crafts at Nottingham Castle
• Stonebridge City Farm is open FREE 7 days a week 10am ? 3pm
• Festival of Science and Curiosity ? free and paid events to help stimulate little minds - including some really fun events in our libraries
• New Art Exchange ? book to create movie soundtracks in workshops at New Art Exchange FREE
• Nottingham Contemporary ? book now for FREE family activities on Wednesday and Thursday
• Visit the National Justice Museum over half-term for a programme of creative workshops