I?m delighted that myself and fellow councillor, Cheryl Barnard, will be launching a new Big Reading Challenge next week and we hope to raise ?5,000 for charity.

Along with other colleagues and council staff, we?ll be reading to children at various places across the city between Monday and Sunday in aid of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library ? an amazing scheme that delivers a free book every month to local children from birth up to five years of age.

A special ?Stories by Candlelight? session will be held at the Council House, in Old Market Square, as part of Light Night on Friday 3 February from 5pm to 7pm. School children will also read to local business leaders as part of a fund-raising Business Breakfast at the Council House on Thursday 2 February.

You can donate here.

While the news about our Broad Marsh Levelling Up bid was undoubtedly disappointing, there?s a lot to be positive about, in terms of what we?ve already achieved as well as what?s planned for the Southside of the city this year.

Arriving from the station, Carrington Street and Sussex Street now offer welcoming pedestrianised routes into the city and the former barrier of Canal Street traffic has been reduced to buses, taxis and bikes.

The stunning new car park and bus station are fully operational, while the new Nottingham College building not only looks striking but also brings students and life to the area. A new city skate area has also opened on Sussex Street following collaboration between the Council,?Skate Nottingham and Skateboard GB. It has also been great to see the artwork installed underneath the tram bridge which was designed and developed by local artists through the Nottingham Project.

This year will see our efforts continue apace. I?m excited to see the Green Heart start to take shape ? the part of the Broad Marsh vision that most people said they want ? and for more work to get underway to hone the vision into a deliverable blueprint for the whole site. Getting the new Central Library open and starting the new Collin Street public space to link up the rest of the improved areas will also be major milestones for the city this year.

Elsewhere we can see private developers showing their confidence in Nottingham, with the vision for the Island Quarter taking shape and new offices and accommodation being added to the city skyline.

More here

I would like to thank those who took part in our consultation for Devolution for the East Midlands, which would bring in a package of local powers and funding worth ?1.14 billion for Nottingham, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Derby.

We are now analysing and considering your responses before all four councils decide if we should move to the next stage, which would see us submit plans to Government for approval.

While this work is happening, we are already seeing the benefits of the devolution negotiations, as we secured ?18m funding for East Midlands projects supporting housing, the environment, infrastructure, skills, and transport.

The first of this funding has now been approved, with ?6.97million going to projects, including ?2m for Nottingham and Derby to fund a new long-term private rental scheme to address homelessness in both cities and reduce the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for housing homeless people.

This is just the start of the investment that could happen as part of devolution, which would see the region get ?38 million a year over a 30-year period.

More information on devolution here?

To celebrate the Year of the Rabbit in 2023, Cosmopolitan Arts is presenting a Chinese New Year celebration in Old Market Square tomorrow. Starting at 2.30pm, a traditional Chinese procession will take place through the city. This will be followed by a spectacular performance including a lion dance, music and audio-visual displays in Old Market Square.

This vibrant and dazzling event is free and suitable for all the family. Why not go along to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with all the cultural communities who celebrate the lunar festival, also known as the spring festival, and learn about their beautiful and fascinating culture.

Cosmopolitan Arts have worked closely with the Chinese communities of Leicester, Nottingham, and Derby to conduct the first ever study into Chinese migration to the East Midlands. Thanks to funding from Arts Council England they have been able to celebrate and share this research.

Find out more here

Nottingham?s annual charity music festival Beat The Streets takes place this Sunday at major venues across the city. Organised by DHP, the festival has run for the last five years, raising over ?320,000 to help tackle homelessness in the city.

Starting at 1pm, tickets are priced from a minimum donation of ?10, with all proceeds from ticket, bar and merchandise sales going directly to Framework. It?s a great event for a worthy cause and testament to the community spirt that?s alive in Nottingham.

Find out more here

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. Each year, 27 January marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.

Here in the UK, and around the world, millions of people still face prejudice, discrimination and hostility simply because of their identity. Holocaust Memorial Day is a day of commemoration and action, when we challenge these attitudes and behaviours in order to build a better future together.

Yesterday I was privileged to attend a ceremony at the Council House marking the day. It was a very moving event and it highlighted the importance of remembering this terrible period in history and guard against it ever happening again. You can find out more about Holocaust Memorial Day here?