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It's Foster Care fortnight and we're celebrating the crucial role our foster carers play in changing young lives.
Three of our foster carers, Lee, Hayley and Saira (pictured left to right) have spoken about their experiences in videos and you can watch them here.
If you're inspired to consider fostering visit Foster for East Midlands Councils or call 03033 132 950.
Foster Care Fortnight runs until Sunday 24 May.
Do children in your family have school meals? The government is proposing some changes and you might like to have your say.
New food standards are being proposed to ensure schools in England provide children with healthy food and drink to make sure pupils have the energy and nutrition they need to learn. The consultation closes on 12 June.
Have your say here
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Work's started on a project to generate clean, renewable electricity that will generate future income for us by selling the energy back to the National Grid.
Around 5,800 solar panels are being installed on reclaimed county council-owned land next to Williamthorpe Country Park, off the A617 Mansfield Road, where Williamthorpe Colliery once stood.
Funded by us and East Midlands Combined County Authority, the small solar farm aims to produce around three million kWh of electricity each year – enough to power around 700 homes.
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Our councillors will discuss proposals to change home-to-school transport policies next week.
Our Cabinet will be asked to agree to update travel policies in line with national guidance for eligible school children aged five to 16, post-16 learners and students with special educational needs and disabilities.
It follows a public consultation where 450 people gave their views on the proposals to make both policies clearer, fairer and sustainable in the face of rising demand and increasing operational costs.
The report being discussed on Thursday 21 May says modernising the policies would introduce flexible travel to suit the needs of families, promote independence and ensure we are providing sustainable, safe travel to school in line with our legal obligations.
We support up to 10,000 eligible children and young people to get to school each day, involving 1,140 transport routes and 145 different transport providers.
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Investors and developers are being encouraged to find out what Derbyshire can do for them at a national event in Leeds.
Next week a delegation from the county council heads north to the UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UK REiiF) in Leeds. It's the UK’s leading event on the property and investment calendar.
Representatives from the county council will be on hand in the East Midlands Pavilion throughout the three-day event, which opens on Tuesday 19 May, to chat to other delegates about development opportunities.
A full list of development opportunities can be found in the new Derbyshire Investment Prospectus.
You're invited, this Dementia Action Week 18-24 May, to take simple, positive steps to support your brain health with the launch of a new Derby and Derbyshire Brain Health Toolkit.
Dementia affects more than 982,000 people across the UK and is a condition linked to an ongoing decline in how the brain works over time.
While dementia cannot always be prevented, there is strong and growing evidence that looking after your brain throughout life can make a real difference. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of developing dementia in later life and support better brain health at any age.
The toolkit offers clear, evidence‑based information and simple actions people can take at any age. It supports positive lifestyle changes that benefit both brain health and overall wellbeing.
Read more and explore the toolkit
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Do you use the A54 Macclesfield Main Road? A five-night road closure is planned next week for geotechnical site investigations, so please follow the signed diversion.
We're closing the road to all traffic for five nights. From Monday 18 May to Friday 22 May (into the early hours of Saturday morning, 23 May), the road will be closed from 7pm until 6am, between the A53 Leek Road and the junction with the A537 at the county boundary. A signed diversion will be in place using the A53, A523, A537 and the A54.
The closures are needed to investigate the causes of the historical slips along the route. We'll be carrying out geotechnical surveys, using equipment to bore into the banks next to and above the road surface, to fully understand the geology below ground and assess the type of soil and the depth of the rock.
Samples will be sent to our in-house laboratory team to analyse and help us identify the most effective repair solutions to reinforce the banks to prevent future slips.
Access for local properties fronting Macclesfield Main Road will be possible throughout the works. Existing on-street parking will remain and will be unaffected by our works.
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