As the cost of living rises, I know many people in Nottingham will be concerned about their energy bills. Alongside key partners, we are running three drop-in energy advice sessions during April where we will offer energy saving advice, benefits checks, boiler repair or replacement measures, and more.

• Saturday 9^th?April, 9.30am ? 12pm at?Hyson Green Library
• Monday 11^th?April, 3pm ? 5.30pm at?Aspley Library
• Thursday 21^st?April, 9.30am ? 12pm at?Top Valley Community Centre

These events are free, and there is no need to book. You can just come along at any time during the sessions to get free impartial advice to help you manage your household?s finances. I hope that attending will help to ease the anxiety many will be feeling about their energy bills.

A representative from the NHS will also be attending the events to answer any questions you may have about the Covid-19 vaccine. If you haven?t had your vaccine, it?s not too late ? have a pressure-free chat with the experts.

Find out more

Learning to live with Covid-19 means taking everyday actions to reduce the spread of the virus. This means being aware of the symptoms of Covid. We have been aware of fever, cough and loss of taste/smell but there are now some new signs that you might have Covid:

• shortness of breath
• feeling tired or exhausted
• an aching body
• a headache
• a sore throat
• a blocked or runny nose
• loss of appetite
• diarrhoea
• feeling sick or being sick

If you feel unwell and have symptoms you should consider how best to avoid spreading infection to other people. Think about who you might come into contact with? and whether you might be putting them at risk? Stay at home to reduce the spread of germs and viruses in the same way that you would with other illness, such as norovirus or flu. Don?t forget the basics of good hygiene like covering our mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.

Read more about symptoms on the NHS website here.?

Children aged 5-11 can now get their Covid vaccination. Getting vaccinated remains the best protection against the virus. Sessions for children are being held at the vaccination centre at the Forest Recreation Ground every Monday and Wednesday from 4.30-7.30pm.

Children?s nurses are attending these clinics ? and Ruby the therapy dog will also be on hand to make sure children feel safe and relaxed. You can get more information and book an appointment here.

After four years as the Midlands Energy Hub, I?m pleased to announce that the team has rebranded to become the Midlands Net Zero Hub. The Hub is hosted by Nottingham City Council and sits within the Carbon Reduction Energy and Sustainability division, delivering innovative strategies and projects across the Midlands and beyond to support the country?s Net Zero agenda.

Through their vital work, the team has reduced instances of fuel poverty through domestic retrofit programmes such as the Local Authority Delivery Scheme and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The Hub has also helped community groups in rural areas to unlock projects to generate renewable energy through the Rural Community Energy Fund, and they?ve supported training providers across the country to upskill the workforce to deliver energy efficiency projects at scale.

If you would like to know more about the Midlands Net Zero Hub, you can see their work on their new website. You can also follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter for regular updates.