Erewash council’s twelfth and newest nature reserve has been officially declared open by the Mayor – who was filmed by a BBC TV news crew as he cut the ribbon.

Cllr Harry Atkinson sported his chain of office as he led a town hall delegation to the £500,000 project, which began a year ago. The ceremony on the edge of Ilkeston saw some 50 people given a VIP tour of Pewit Coronation Meadows Local Nature Reserve.

The council’s Lead Member for Environment Cllr Mark Alfrey was interviewed by the BBC's Rachel Royce, pictured, after he made a speech hailing the 25-acre oasis as the latest example of the authority helping to boost the health and wellbeing of residents.

Cllr Alfrey said: “There are new paths and trails – plus what are called ‘open mosaic habitats’ to encourage wildlife. These include banks of wildflowers for butterflies.” Birds of prey including the hobby have already been making the nature reserve their home. A video featuring the Mayor talking about the new beauty spot can be viewed by clicking on the tab.

In it he explains how funding has not come from council tax but is a mix of Government money and the proceeds of a levy on businesses involved in the redevelopment of the old Stanton ironworks site.

Harry says of Pewit Coronation Meadows: "It’s for everyone. Whether you are a cyclist, a dog walker or just wanting to come and enjoy the outdoors, we want you to use this space.”

One species of butterfly that the nature reserve hopes to encourage is the dingy skipper.

It used to thrive around the old Stanton ironworks on the other side of town but is increasingly rare. It prefers open, sunny habitats but also requires taller vegetation for shelter and roosting. You can help in the conservation battle by taking part in what is called the 2025 Big Butterfly Count – which is a nationwide campaign. Find out more by clicking the tab.

Residents are urged to become "citizen scientists" as part of Bees’ Needs Week – which runs from Monday 14 July to Sunday 20 July.

All you need to do is spend ten minutes when the weather is fine watching plants and pollinators to compile a flower-insect timed (FIT) count. A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which is behind Bees' Needs Week, said: "We’d love as many people and organisations as possible to get involved."

"Every single count submitted to the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS) helps make our data more meaningful, to help us learn more about where pollinators live and how their numbers are changing." For more information click the tab.

Employers across Erewash are being reminded that more than £100,000 is being made available by the council to help create local jobs – by encouraging firms to innovate.

The boost is in the form of research and development grants that businesses can apply for. The authority will pay two thirds of the bill for coming up with new products, processes and technologies. Firms that agree to meet a third of their project’s costs can get sums of between £5,000 and £20,000. The grants use Government money that the council has secured via the East Midlands Mayor. Similar R&D schemes have been running since 2022. It means a total of £214,000 has been pumped into the local economy – securing existing jobs and creating new ones.

One company that won a grant was featured on ITV’s This Morning. T-shirt firm Comfa was the brainchild of an 11-year-old called Max. He was granted a patent after coming up with the idea of sewing fidget toys called Pop-Its into T-shirt seams – to help soothe those like himself who have neurodivergency. Max is pictured with his dad Matt on the TV show.

Crowds partied at Erewash’s biggest carnival – as temperatures topped 30°C on one of the hottest weekends of the year.

An alert was issued ahead of the extravaganza urging revellers to use sunscreen, don hats and drink plenty of liquids.

The historic Long Eaton Carnival – first held in 1931 – saw a grand parade set out from the town's West Park. It returned two hours later after winding its way through the streets. The theme for this year's cavalcade of floats was board games. Displays included one based on the game Mousetrap, pictured. Three local youngsters were chosen to be “carnival royalty”. Myla, aged 12, was honoured for good deeds including fundraising for Sawley Rotary Club and helping her mum as a Salvation Army volunteer. Fellow carnival princess Zara was described as “a kind and courageous little girl” who uses her own pocket money to help the homeless.

Ben, who was “carnival prince”, launched his own business cleaning cemetery headstones after visiting his gran’s grave. He uses money from the venture to back a charity that provides headstones for families who have lost a child. Erewash council’s Deputy Leader Becca Everett, who is Lead Member for Community Engagement, paid tribute to the hard work of all the fundraisers and volunteers who keep the carnival going. She said: “I’m pleased that Myla, Zara and Ben agreed to be Carnival Royalty for this year’s event. They are truly deserving, working so hard for the community."

Summer holiday fun days aimed at children who qualify for free school dinners have been lined up at the Erewash Museum in Ilkeston plus four other venues across the borough – and all include a free meal.

Some of the activity days are for seven to 12-year-olds while others are billed as “teen clubs” for pupils up to the age of 16.

The Long Eaton School in Thoresby Road is another of the venues – as is Ilkeston’s Rutland Sports Park, which will feature a giant inflatable. Places must be booked in advance except for a “Come & Try” session at the museum on Friday 25 July – when families are invited to just turn up to meet activity providers from around the borough.

The clubs for older children will be held at Cotmanhay Pavilion and Kirk Hallam Games Area in Windsor Crescent. Click below for more information.

The award- winning Erewash Museum will again be opening one of its most popular summer attractions – a seaside-style beach for children to enjoy during the school holidays. It is part of a host of holiday activities for youngsters that include a teddy bears picnic on Saturday 26 July.

The culture and heritage hub near Ilkeston Market Place is currently closed for major refurbishments but will reopen in mid-July with a bigger cafe. It is inviting more people to sign up as Friends of Erewash Museum – which is an easy and satisfying way to give back to the local community. Just pop in to fill out a form or email friendsoferewash@gmail.com

It is thanks to the fundraising efforts of the museum's friends that a historic exhibit called the Handyside Urn is being restored to its former glory –  almost 150 years after it was made by Derby firm Andrew Handyside & Company. For more information on becoming a friend click the button.

A top-level delegation led by Erewash’s mayor toured a smart new social housing and affordable homes development in the borough – and heard how all 53 of the properties opposite an iconic former lace mill will boast solar panels and charging points for electric cars.

Borough council leader James Dawson and his deputy Cllr Becca Everett joined Mayor Cllr Harry Atkinson as he was shown around houses nearing completion in the heart of Sandiacre. They also saw where diggers are getting land ready for more of the homes to go up as part of the £14.5million project. The houses range in size from two bedrooms to four. Thirty-one are for social rent and 22 are earmarked for shared ownership schemes.

They are on Gas Street – which is where a village gasworks once stood. In the late 1800s Sandiacre’s gas streetlamps were fuelled by the plant, which also powered the Springfield Mill lace factory. The mill is pictured in an image taken by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which also shows several of the new homes nearing completion.

Voluntary groups, charities and non-profit organisations across Erewash can get grants of up to £5,000 to support projects that help people live safely and without fear of crime.

The money is from a Safer and Stronger Communities Fund that has been launched by Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts, pictured.

She is inviting applications from "organisations and groups who already work with and truly understand their communities to continue making an impact on the issues that really matter to local people".
The commissioner said: "These organisations are already an asset to Derbyshire, and I believe that by harnessing their knowledge, expertise and experience we will make our richly diverse communities stronger and safer."
The deadline for applications is Friday 25 July. Click below for more information. You can also find out how the start of July is ASB Awareness Week.

Data suggests that food waste increases in the summer as people buy extra for family get-togethers – so a good money-saving tip is to plan carefully, write a shopping list and stick to it.

Double check what you already have in your kitchen cupboards and freezer. Another way to avoid wasting food is by planning your meals for the week.

Want your bag of salad leaves to last longer?  Put a folded sheet of kitchen roll in the bag with the leaves. For more tips on reducing waste visit the council's website by clicking the tab.

Don't forget that your views are being sought over proposals that would see the number of councils in Derbyshire cut to just two – spelling the end for Erewash.

The borough would become part of a single large unitary authority in the south of the county under plans which would see a separate unitary council covering the north of Derbyshire.

A six-week consultation has been launched so people across the county can give their views. Click the tab to take part. There is also a link to a brief video in which Erewash's leader Cllr James Dawson, pictured, explains the proposals. If the two new unitary authorities in Derbyshire get the go-ahead they would start to operate by April 2028.

Erewash Borough Council now has a Bluesky account where you can find updates from us.

Following our social networking sites is a great way to make sure you keep up to date with everything that is happening. You can get local news plus information about events, consultations, service updates . . . and so much more.