I?m proud of the way people in Nottingham pulled together to help each other during the Covid pandemic. We?re building on that good work by creating a network of local Community Champions who will continue to support people in their neighbourhoods.

We?re looking for volunteers who can join this new network ? people who understand how their local communities work and what is important to them. Our Champions will support the City Council and local NHS to help improve health and wellbeing. This could include sharing information with family and friends, local groups, parents and carers at the school gates or people you work with, putting posters in shops, restaurants, pubs, notice boards or community spaces and sharing posts on social media.

You do not need any special skills or experience to be a Community Champion ? we?ll make sure you get all of the training and support you need.

You can read more about becoming a Community Champion here.

We are also pleased to be able to offer a free neighbourhood resource to provide health and wellbeing advice to our citizens. These hubs are replacing the community testing mobile units that have now closed following the ending of free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing and can be quickly repurposed for Covid-19 testing again if an outbreak occurs.

As well as providing information on local health services, Covid-19 vaccines and healthy lifestyle choices, the hubs will also provide guidance on how to make your money go further. A key worry for many of our citizens right now is the growing cost of living crisis.

For more information on where and when to find your nearest Health and Wellbeing Hub visit https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/health-wellbeing-hubs

Today is Earth Day and a good opportunity for a conversation about recycling in Nottingham.

The City Council recently asked Nottingham people about recycling in an online survey ? around 95% of people said they were sure they are recycling correctly. But when our clean crews collect recycling, around 25% - a quarter ? of it is contaminated with incorrect items. That often means it can?t be recycled and it also costs more money for the council and ultimately the taxpayer.

The top items that end up in recycling bins that shouldn?t are:

? Bin bags ? no soft plastic bags like bread bags and bin bags can go in your recycling bin

? Tetrapaks ? they need to go to special Terracycle collection points

? Nappies ? believe it or not people throw nappies into recycling bins. They go in your household waste bin.

And recycling also needs to be clean and dry as much as possible so while a pizza box is cardboard and great to recycle if it?s clean? if it?s covered in melted cheese and food, it needs to go in your household waste bin.

https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/recycleitright

Today we have raised the St George Flag on the front of the Council House in readiness for tomorrow?s parade. Tonight we will also light the Council House building orange to commemorate the life of Stephen Lawrence, a young Black British teenager who was murdered in a racist attack in 1993.

In my mind these two actions make a powerful statement together. It?s natural to feel a sense of pride in England. However, sometimes I feel the St George Flag has been taken over by far right groups. In my view this is wrong. The St George Flag should celebrate England with a healthy, positive and inclusive symbolism. During the Football World Cup last year, England Manager Gareth Southgate showed so brilliantly this same mixture of inclusive national pride and zero tolerance towards racism. This type of symbolic leadership is important to changing attitudes.

For this reason I?m proud to be supporting the Stephen Lawrence Foundation to influence attitudes towards race. The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University will also be lighting up their buildings tonight. In Nottingham we celebrate our diversity as a strength, and our city will always stand united against racism and hatred.

If you?d like to find out more about Stephen, please visit this website: Stephen Lawrence Foundation

This Easter holiday hundreds of Nottingham pupils joined our free holiday clubs. They were dancing, crafting, boxing, playing ball games, trying archery, climbing, music and so much more ? all with free food provided every day! We?re proud to be helping children keep healthy and active, as well as ensuring no child goes hungry. We?d like to say a huge thank you to all of the providers who delivered the activities:

Nottingham Forest Community Trust & their delivery partners, Bestwood Partnership, Renewal Trust, Castle Cavendish, Bridges Community Trust, Groundworks, Belong, Bluecoat Beechdale, Epic, Clubzone, Rattle and Roll, Freedom Foundation and FTM Dance.

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