Plus... Big Reading Challenge



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Nottingham Light Night begins today!

light night

*Friday 3 & Saturday 4 February from 5pm until late* 

Excitement is building in Nottingham as the much-anticipated Light Night opens today. Over 30 light-based installations, performances and activities feature right across the city centre as part of this free after-dark festival.  

Highlights include Pulse at Old Market Square, Evanescent at Sneinton Market Square, Fear The Light at Sussex Street, Neon Dogs at Hounds Gate and The Nectary on Carrington Street. The Tom Dale Company and Inspire Youth Arts return to Nottingham Contemporary for an electric dance performance, there are music stages at Trinity Square and Binks Yard, and there’s even a special commission at Lister Gate to remember and honour Nottingham’s much-loved Xylophone Man. 

I am also hosting a special ‘Stories by Candlelight’ session for children in the Council House in Old Market Square as the finale to our Big Reading Challenge. This is taking place from 5pm to 7pm tonight (Friday 3 February) and is free for families to drop into.  

The best way to plan your evening is to download the free event app, available via the App Store [ [link removed] ] or Google Play [ [link removed] ]. The app lists activities by day and time, and you can also filter by categories. An interactive map will point you in the direction of activities and installations near you. A number of printed event guides will be available from the Tourism Centre on Smithy Row. 

Make sure to use #NottinghamLightNight if you post on social media! 

Organised by Nottingham City Council in partnership with Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID), the organisation behind It's in Nottingham; the event is also being supported with funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England. 

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Big Reading Challenge

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This week councillors have been reading books to children to promote The Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a scheme which provides free books to children in Nottingham. As part of our Big Reading Challenge we have been able to visit Welbeck Primary School, St Joseph’s Nursery, Robert Shaw, Oak Field, Djanogly Strelley Academy, Hogarth Primary and Stephen’s CoE school. I was very impressed with how bright, engaged and well behaved all the children were and I greatly appreciate the work all our local teachers do in our city. A special thank you is also needed for our generous local businesses who joined children from Greenfields Community School at the Council House for our Business Breakfast. 
 
I appreciate how tight budgets are at the moment for people but getting books to local children and reading to them early can improve their life chances so much. If you are able to and willing please consider supporting the scheme by donating through our GoFundMe Page here [ [link removed] ].


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Investing in a healthy city with new gym equipment

gym

It’s great that the council’s Active Nottingham team will be investing £1.5m in new gym fitness equipment over the next five years.  

Each of our six leisure centres will receive much-needed new equipment as the current kit is wearing out. Harvey Hadden Sports Village and Clifton Leisure Centre will be the first to benefit in the Spring. 

The average lifespan for a piece of cardio equipment is five years and the cost of repair outstrips the value of the older machines so it makes sense to invest in new kit. 

Membership at our gyms is increasing but we know that replacing old equipment will help to improve customer satisfaction as well as mental and physical health and wellbeing, enabling our leisure centres to remain competitive in an ever-growing sport and leisure marketplace, especially as today’s gym-goer wants to see smart technology on fitness equipment to enhance their gym experience. 

For more updates and keep up to date on the improvement works, visit Active Nottingham’s Facebook page here [ [link removed] ]. 


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Nottingham Festival of Science and Curiosity returns  

fosac

Nottingham Festival of Science and Curiosity takes place from 6 to 17 February celebrating Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths with interactive and fun, free family events across the city and county.    There will be science fun days filled with discovery, learning and exploring the wonders of science with a jam-packed programme of exciting live shows, hands-on activities such as:    


* Planetarium sessions  
* Robot building  
* Science of chocolate  
* Sensory nature walks  
* Slimy science 

  You can find out more about all the Festival events taking place at here [ [link removed] ]    


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Government recognises progress at the council with decision not to appoint commissioners

council house

The Government announced yesterday that the current arrangements in place for overseeing ongoing improvements at the council will continue rather than commissioners being appointed. 

The decision means that the Improvement and Assurance Board chaired by Sir Tony Redmond will remain in place to support the council in implementing its ‘Together for Nottingham’ improvement plan.  

We very much welcome the Government’s decision which reflects that the current arrangements in place are working. 

The council has already made many of the improvements expected of us by the Improvement and Assurance Board and the Government. In particular, we had agreed a balanced budget and medium term financial plan prior to the soaring inflation and energy costs that have affected the finances of households and councils up and down the country – and we are well on the way to balancing the budget for a second year.  

We recognise there is much more work to do to increase the pace of the changes and to put the council on a solid financial footing despite the huge budget pressures we and all councils are facing currently. 


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