Most councils up and down the country are facing significant financial difficulties, and once again we are faced with some really difficult decisions about how we balance our budget next year.

Budget proposals aimed at closing a ?32.2m budget gap for 2023/24 have been published, ahead of them being discussed by our Executive Board next week. We have looked in this budget process for ways in which we can become more efficient and effective with each pound we spend for Nottingham.

Demand continues to grow for vital services such as adult social care, which now makes up over a third of the council?s entire budget. Proposals we are considering include making efficiencies by providing these services differently, along with savings from a range of other council services.

Since 2010 we have had to make over ?300m of savings to our budgets. With vastly diminished Government grants, we have got to seriously consider the 5% Council Tax increase allowed by Government, even though this wouldn?t raise enough to properly meet local needs, and it would sadly place a further burden on local people who we know are already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. For the vast majority of city residents, this would equate to between ?1.25 and ?1.46 more per week. When Nottingham households have lost out on average almost ?700 of national funding since 2010, this rise is something we have been forced to consider.

We have made sure that we will still be able to offer free events for families and a network of outstanding parks that will enable hard pressed Nottingham families to enjoy what they might otherwise struggle to afford to do.

Find out more here

Given the ongoing pressures on household budgets of local residents, I?m pleased that today we can announce further support for families.

The council has teamed up again with the Nottingham Forest Community Trust to offer free Christmas holiday activity clubs for pupils in the city who receive free school meals. We?ve also made supermarket vouchers available which have been handed out by schools to eligible children.

More details about the fun sessions and how to book is here?

With Christmas just around the corner and the cost of food, energy and other bills rising, I understand many people may feel pressure as they prepare for Christmas with friends and family.

It?s difficult but if you can, try to avoid going into debt for Christmas. Have a look at what you can afford and make a plan. According to FareShare Midlands, each UK household on average throws away ?496 worth of food every year. To help cut down on food waste and help you save money, consider planning your meals before you shop so that you only buy what you need and try cooking in bulk to help make the food you have last longer.

You?re not alone if you?re feeling worried about money leading up to Christmas. Ask Lion has a range of online support and guidance, including places which offer cheaper food, like community supermarkets and social eating projects. Visit www.asklion.co.uk/food.

Throughout the winter season we monitor the weather constantly, using a paid for service provided by Met Office. Their traffic light system lets us see when there is a risk of snow and/or ice falling overnight, so we know exactly when our gritters need to be hitting the road. The cold weather lately means that the gritting team have been very busy!

There are also 200 grit bins around the city available for you to use on public roads and pavements to assist the local community. You can find your nearest grit bin here.

The team grits 277 miles of Nottingham?s roads every wintry night. Our top priority is to keep the city moving and the roads clear, especially those used by emergency services and public transport.?

Find out more about gritting here

Anyone aged five and over, and at high risk from Covid-19 due to a health condition or a weakened immune system, is eligible for an Autumn Booster jab.

If you haven?t already had a booster, I would urge you to book an appointment to make sure you are protected ahead of Christmas, when you will be seeing more friends and family. Over the winter months, cases are expected to increase and levels of protection can fall over time, so even if you?ve already had COVID-19, you will still need to top up your immunity.

Find out more:?how to get a booster dose

You can find your nearest vaccination centre and book online at nhs.uk.