Earlier this week, the City Council submitted bids totalling ?57m to the Government?s Levelling Up Fund to unlock Nottingham?s potential by bringing about massive changes to the city?s Broad Marsh area, Bulwell town centre and the Island Quarter.

We believe that Broad Marsh is perhaps the most significant development site in the country right now and that our ambitious proposals offer a chance for Nottingham to re-imagine the future of city centres and uplift not just the Broad Marsh, but support jobs and growth for the wider city and region, unlocking benefits for us all and future generations. A successful ?20m bid for the Frame would help unlock the wider vison for a new ?green heart? for the city, rejuvenating the caves and creating new homes, jobs and business opportunities.

Bulwell town centre has great potential which deserves to be realised and our ?20m bid will enhance some of the key elements that make the town special. The market and the riverside area will be given the love and attention they need, along with the sort of shopfront rejuvenation which has made such a difference in parts of the city centre and thoughtful public realm improvements including a Bulwell Promenade.

The Island Quarter is a key site next to the city centre for which ambitious plans are already underway but ?17m of support from the Levelling Up Fund would help enhance further creating opportunities and improving access for local communities.

These bids are the absolute essence of what Levelling Up should be all about, so we are hopeful of success.

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Nottingham Riverside Festival is back with an extra bang after two years away ? with the hugely popular fireworks display above the River Trent running both tonight and tomorrow night for the first time.

The free festival features a wide array of live music, a whole mile of fairground rides, games and attractions and numerous street food and drink vendors. Sunday will feature the annual Dragon Boat race and a Duck Race on the river, and there?s plenty for younger festival goers in the Big Top area.

With such a varied and packed programme of entertainment and experiences, the free annual festival is one of the highlights of a Nottingham summer that has been enjoyed by generations of Nottingham folk since its inception in 1973. We?re looking forward to getting the whole city back together after two years away, and welcoming thousands of people down to Victoria Embankment. The weather forecast is looking good, so a great weekend of family fun is in prospect.

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We are thrilled to have secured external grant funding and public donations to buy the last-known portrait painting of DH Lawrence, one of the most significant authors of 20th Century literature whose works are celebrated worldwide. Through a collaboration between Nottingham City Libraries and Nottingham City Museums and partners, we are showcasing this collection piece at Newstead Abbey & Gardens ? as the former of home of Romantic poet, Lord Byron, a fitting location for the placement of a significant piece for Nottinghamshire and its local people as well as visitors from far afield.

DH Lawrence is synonymous with Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and was a prolific author. Best known for his controversial novel Lady Chatterley?s Lover, he wrote many novels, short stories, poems and essays. The portrait is therefore fundamental to Nottinghamshire?s cultural importance and we believe it will mean a great deal to many people. It is also a celebration of Nottingham?s rebellious literary history.

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It?s been a seismic week for women?s sport with the Lionesses historic victory on Sunday (with Nottingham?s Mary Earps at the goalkeeping helm) and many incredible performances at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games with a wealth of medals handed out for Nottingham athletes.

Huge congratulations to Emily Campbell who secured Commonwealth Gold and set a new Commonwealth Games record as she raised a total of 286kg in the Women?s Weightlifting 87+kg category. Emily?s career is going from strength to strength after becoming an Olympic silver medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Congratulations to every taking part in the Games so far and good luck to those with events still to come!

We hope the Games and these amazing Nottingham athletes will inspire people to get active. If so, why not take part in the Active Nottingham?Move 22 Miles Challenge?or take up a great Active Nottingham membership offer that?s celebrating the Games - pop into your local Active Nottingham leisure centre or visit:?www.activenottingham.com/offers/

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Keeping the family entertained over summer is no easy task and as the cost of living crisis continues to worsen, many of us may be worried about summer spending. I?m pleased to highlight some of the options for entertaining children for free this summer in Nottingham:

? The Beach is open until 4 September

? Riverside Festival is back 5-7 August with live music and entertainment

? Head to Victoria Embankment or the Arboretum for our Bands in the Parks live music concerts throughout the summer

? Family fun at Nottingham Contemporary Book a free workshop

? The Wagon of Dreams - family theatre performances at parks around Nottingham

? Our free Summer Holiday Activity Clubs for children with free lunch return this summer!?Places are limited and must be booked in advance, with priority going to those on Free School Meals.

? See what?s on for children during the summer holidays at your local libraries, parks and more

? See what else is on this Summer.

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We?re all really excited about Forest?s return to English football?s top tier, with their opening Premier League match at Newcastle United. It?s been a long time for supporters to wait and I?m sure they will be counting down the hours until 3pm tomorrow.

The triumph of Wembley is still so fresh in the memory and we hope it will inspire the team to achieve more success this season.

On behalf of everyone at the council, I wish Forest the very best of luck ? both tomorrow and for the rest of the season. They?ve done the city proud and we?re looking forward to welcoming West Ham to Nottingham the following weekend.