More than £50,000 is to be shared among nine Nottinghamshire organisations to help them deliver community-boosting initiatives in their neighbourhoods.

They will receive £51,387 in total via Nottinghamshire County Council’s Local Communities Fund, which enables groups and good causes to access money to deliver key projects.

The LCF is a four-year scheme which gives organisations an opportunity to apply for capital grants of up to £20,000 to make improvements to facilities that support community access and boost health and wellbeing.

Billions of pounds worth of investment and thousands of jobs will come to Nottinghamshire after it was a chosen as the home of what is hoped to be world’s first commercial prototype fusion energy plant.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, announced that West Burton A, near Retford, is due to be the first site in the world to develop a commercial power station that will use the energy produced by fusion reactions to generate electricity. The site was among 15 nominated locations.

Foster carers are urgently needed in Nottinghamshire for a range of local children, in need of safe, secure, loving homes.

Husband and wife Steve and Christine from Carlton-in-Lindrick are full-time foster carers after having successful careers in manufacturing and the pharmaceutical industry. 

Christine said: “Both my husband and I are qualified to do several types of fostering – but ultimately, we chose to offer long-term foster care.  

“Fostering the same children for years has enriched our lives and made our family that little bit bigger.”

With covid and flu circulating this winter, we’re encouraging everyone who is eligible to get their covid booster and flu vaccination.

Flu is very infectious and can be unpleasant, but if you’re otherwise healthy, it will usually clear up on its own in a week or two. But it can be more severe for some people including those aged over 65, pregnant women, children and adults with an underlying health condition and people with weakened immune systems.

If you’re in one of these groups, or if you care for someone who is, you’re eligible for the free vaccine at your GP or local pharmacy. Find out more at www.nhs.uk/staywell  

Around 50,000 Nottinghamshire households struggling to make ends meet due to the current rise in living costs are set to get extra support this winter.

The third round of the Government’s Household Support Fund (HSF) is expected* to allocate around £5.6m to the county and will once again be administered by Nottinghamshire County Council in partnership with its borough and district council partners between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2023.

Local people who have been affected by suicide or mental health issues took part in a virtual photo display ahead of World Mental Health Day (10 October).

People showed their support for mental health awareness and suicide prevention by sending in images to try and inspire those who are struggling that there can be hope even in the most difficult of times. The idea is based on a virtual exhibition in Manchester.

Three of the images are drawings by John Lockson from Nottingham. He said: “Lockdown affected my mental health and wellbeing far more than I imagined, so taking up pencil drawing again was a massive relief of stress. I hope people enjoy looking at the pictures as much as I did creating them.”