Millions of pounds in funding, made possible because of plans for devolution in the East Midlands, has been agreed and will be spent on improving housing, transport and the skills of local people.

In total, £18m of funding is being offered to Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham as part of early investment to the area during devolution negotiations and is not dependent on devolution proposals going ahead.

The latest funding amount of £9.9m has now been approved and will help councils to carry out retrofit work on homes to make them more energy efficient.

Towns and villages along the Nottinghamshire route of this year’s Tour of Britain are once again being encouraged to create eye-catching land art for the eagerly anticipated stage.

The world-famous cycle race returns to Robin Hood County for a fourth time since 2017 when it hosts the 170-kilometre fourth stage from Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre to Newark on Wednesday 6 September.

A popular and long-standing tradition of the race is the Tour of Britain’s National Land Art Competition, which provides community groups, schools, businesses, and landowners on the route an opportunity to showcase their creative talents.

The Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) will be back this summer to provide school children who receive benefits-related free school meals with a variety of FREE face-to-face activities to enjoy during the school holidays.

The programme works collaboratively with schools, young people’s centres, district and borough councils, and external providers, to support the physical and mental wellbeing of school children through varied and fun activities, as well as a meal on the day.

Families across Nottinghamshire with eligible children should have received letters with their unique HAF code for booking activities, whilst some families will also have their letters sent home through schools. Parents can check if their child is eligible for free school meals by visiting the County Council’s website: nottinghamshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals

To enhance the oral health for all residents the council is taking the lead in advocating for the expansion of water fluoridation to the whole of the county.

Water fluoridation, a scientifically proven method of adding small amounts of fluoride to drinking water, is a key player in the fight against tooth decay. Already, 30% of Nottinghamshire residents, around 247,000 people, are reaping the benefits of this public health measure.

The Council is now setting its sights on extending these benefits to other areas of the County. The potential rewards are impressive: a 35% reduction in decayed, missing and filled teeth in fiver-year-old children, a 56% decrease in hospital admissions for tooth extractions in children from the most deprived areas, and a remarkable return of £12.71 after five years and £21.98 after ten years for every £1 invested in fluoridation.

Thirty-five groups, all helping improve the health and well-being of residents struggling to make ends meet, are set to share almost £130,000 worth of community cost of living grants. 

Part of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Local Communities Fund, two types of cost of living grants were available to eligible groups who are,

• Helping those who are struggling to buy nutritious food to help improve health and well-being and build resilience. 
• In need of a contribution towards their own rising energy bills to help keep their welcoming and warm centres and halls open across the county. 

Nottinghamshire Day has become a real highlight of the year for me since its inauguration as a County Day in 2021. It’s a chance for the county to come together and recognise all the things that make Notts great - from the cultural attractions, world-class green spaces, sporting heritage and, of course, the residents who make this county such a wonderful place to live, work and visit.

We officially mark the day (25 August) by raising the Nottinghamshire flag at our annual civic ceremony. And last year we hosted the first ever Notts Day Festival where over a thousand residents came together to celebrate.

I’m delighted to announce that this year’s celebrations will coincide with the Robin Hood Festival at Sherwood Forest. It will be great to be back at the home of our legend, Robin Hood, and we look forward to welcoming the community on Saturday 26 August, 10am – 4pm to that special event.

Councillor John Cottee, Cabinet Member for Communities