Thank you to everyone who supported our Big Reading Challenge to raise money for the Imagination Library. Over seven days, councillors joined myself and Cllr Cheryl Barnard to read stories to more than 1,000 children across the city. With online donations and further pledges to come from businesses, we have so far raised almost ?3,000 which is enough to provide hundreds of free books to children from birth to age five in Nottingham.

My highlight was reading stories to families by candlelight in the Council House dining room as part of the wonderful Light Night celebration. Reading to children always reminds me how important it is that we continue to support the Imagination Library. It is proven to improve children?s literacy by the time they start school. More than 6,000 Nottingham children are registered with the scheme and a further 4,000 have already graduated. Our ambition is for every child in Nottingham to get a free book every month, but we need to raise funds to make this happen.

The fundraising page will remain open until the end of the month, so do please donate: www.gofundme.com/f/bigreadingchallenge2023

Books are also a great way for children and young people to explore topics relating to mental wellbeing.? This week is Children?s Mental Health Awareness Week, so there?s no better time to highlight the Reading Well for Children and Reading Well for Teens collections, available in libraries around the city.?

Reading Well collections are chosen by librarians and health professionals, in this case in partnership with children and young people. Reading Well for Children covers topics such as feelings, worry, grief, sadness, dealing with tough times and when you have a condition.?Reading Well for Teens explores themes including healthy minds, anxiety, body image, identity, grief, and staying safe online.

Both collections can be found in city libraries and titles can be requested free of charge if not available in your local library. Find out more here ?

Have you seen the buses and trams carrying the Consent Coalition campaign? We are pleased to announce that the campaign has been named ?Winners of the Year for 2022? from Adverta advertising.

The Consent Coalition is a group of 27 local businesses and organisations, jointly working together to raise awareness of the importance of consent. Consent is incredibly important, but it is a topic that is often not talked about. Not in Nottingham though, we recognise how important it is to educate each other on consent and challenge sexual violence myths and behaviours.

The ?A-Z of Consent? campaign provides key facts for each letter of the alphabet, such as sharing of images, victim blaming, coercion, and choice. By encouraging bold conversations and raising awareness of consent, we can start to create a culture where consent is at the centre of all relationships.

We are delighted to have been voted as Adverta?s number one campaign, thank you to everyone who has supported the campaign.

Another great campaign to help keep women and girls safe in our city was launched this week. A mobile ?Safe Space? will help ensure more women and girls can feel safe on a night out in Nottingham.

The innovative scheme will see a specially branded Nottingham City Council Community Protection van regularly park on Derby Road, one of the city?s busiest roads, at night-time. It will be staffed by uniformed Community Protection officers to give a reassuring presence and offer a safe haven or a chance to talk or seek advice for anyone who needs it.

Funding for the project has come from the Home Office?s Safer Streets scheme and has been achieved in conjunction with the Police and Crime Commissioner, Notts Police, Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue and the City Council.

More here

Reports now suggest that more than 21,000 people have been killed in the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, with many thousands more injured. These devastating earthquakes have caused an extreme humanitarian disaster. Help is needed to provide those that have survived with shelter, food and water so that they can begin to rebuild their lives.

As a mark of respect, we will be turning off the lights of the Council House tomorrow night. My thoughts are not only with those caught up in the aftermath of the tragedy, but with those from the Turkish and Syrian communities here in Nottingham. Locally, a collection of clothes and blankets is being organised by the Turkish Community with Rumi?s Table and Love Mercy Hope. Donations can be taken to 171-173 Hucknall Road, Nottingham, NG5 1FD (Nottingham Bazaar).

The Disasters You can also donate money to a number of organisations working and helping those affected including?Doctors without Borders, the Red Cross, Oxfam and Unicef.

Newstead Abbey & Gardens will be launching two exhibitions in March, Crafted in Clay: Studio Ceramics and New Areas: contemporary ceramics (March ? October).

Crafted in Clay: Studio Ceramics will feature over 100 ceramics by around 30 potters, and use the fireplaces and furniture within Newstead Abbey as a linking trail. As part of New Areas: contemporary ceramics, selected work by innovative contemporary potters will be displayed alongside artists who use clay in their work, in a separate exhibition space within the Abbey.?

These can be discovered in the House & Abbey each weekend from March with House Admission. It?s a great day out for everyone, as kids go free with each paid adult, and you can make the day out even bigger, by exploring the gardens of the parkland too. Site entry or parking charges apply.

https://newsteadabbey.org.uk/