Everyone is worried about the rising cost of living and soaring energy bills ? but these hard times are felt most keenly by those who are already struggling to cope. Supermarket e-vouchers worth ?50 are still available from the council, on a first come first served basis, for people in Nottingham who claim Council Tax Support. Once approved, the e-vouchers are sent straight to you by text message within three working days.

The City Council has secured the e-vouchers through the Government?s Household Support Grant. In these difficult financial times of rising household costs, we want to make sure help is given to those who need it most.

Click here to find out more: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/HouseholdSupportVouchers

The next phase of our consultation over proposed changes to children?s centres gets underway today. In our budget proposals to close a ?28m funding gap for 2022/23, we put forward the closure of six children?s centres, which we reduced to five following earlier consultation.

This is an incredibly difficult proposal to put forward ? we know how important the services are to people who attend children?s centres, which is why we are aiming to protect as much of the service provision as possible. The proposals ensure that 86% of likely service users are within 30 minutes of a centre by public transport or 43% are within 20 minutes? walk of a centre.

We are now looking for new organisations, schools or community groups to deliver services in children?s centres?? with positive feedback already from providers and schools about their willingness to take on and run some of the centres, including some proposed for closure. We are also looking for feedback on the centres we have earmarked as ones we can no longer afford to run ourselves, and the wider plan for a citywide Early Help offer which will enable services to continue to be delivered within the remaining children?s centres and from community venues across the city, as well as virtually for families who choose to access services this way.

Find out more and take part in the consultation here.

Hundreds of local people came together yesterday in Old Market Square to protest against Russia?s aggression in Ukraine, and in support of the people of Ukraine and their loved ones. There were many powerful speeches including from the council?s Deputy Leader Cllr Sally Longford and Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome which reflected the growing concern in city for the people caught up in this awful war. The Council House and Wollaton hall were also lit up blue and yellow Sunday evening in solidarity with Ukraine.

Locally and nationally people are asking for more to be done to support the Ukrainian people including expanding the revised visa rules it announced yesterday as it falls woefully short of what is needed.