People across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are being invited to share their views on the future of local government.

The survey aims to gather public feedback on what matters most to local people and organisations, to help shape new authorities’ priorities.

The six-week survey is being led jointly by all nine councils in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The decision to launch a local government reorganisation process was taken by central government, who wrote to local authorities in February formally asking them to submit proposals to create new structures of ‘unitary authorities’ – which is a single tier of local government responsible for all local services in an area. The aim is to create more efficient and effective local government, potentially leading to streamlined services and cost savings.

The school holidays can only mean one thing – discounted group bus tickets across the city and county are back!

From Wednesday 30 July, passengers can once again enjoy up to a third off group bus travel in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire with selected group tickets.

The discount is thanks to the Nottinghamshire and Greater Nottingham Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP) – a partnership between Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council, and local bus operators.

In England, as of 31 March 2024, there were over 83,000 children in care, a number that has steadily increased over the past decade (Department for Education, 2024). While many children thrive in general foster placements, a significant proportion require specialist care due to complex emotional, behavioural, or psychological needs. These young people may have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, or multiple placement breakdowns.

Specialist foster care provides a structured, therapeutic environment for these children and young people, helping them begin to recover and build a positive future. It is a tailored approach that demands more intensive training and support for carers, but also offers greater impact.

Specialist fostering isn’t easy, but it is critically important. It offers a second chance for young people to thrive, academically, emotionally, and socially. With the right support, foster carers can provide life-changing stability and make a lasting difference.

A Nottinghamshire tourist attraction is set for a summer sizzler of family, fun-packed activities by launching a wave of new water-based attractions.

Adventures, based on the picturesque shore of King’s Mill Reservoir at the popular Mill Waters site in Sutton-in-Ashfield, will be making a splash with the introduction of a ‘dynamic’ range of pursuits to enhance its offer as a tourist destination.

The new attractions will launch at the site – operated and managed by Nottinghamshire County Council’s outdoor environmental education service, Notts Outdoors – to coincide with the start of the summer holiday season.

Families, partners and councillors were invited last week to celebrate the incredible transformation at Oak Tree family hub in Mansfield, following a £150,000 funding investment from the Levelling Up Fund from central government, matched with funding from the county council.

Mansfield District Council and the county council worked together to secure the funding and propose the joint project, with family hubs being selected as a clear priority.

The celebratory event marked the official reopening of the hub after major improvement works. Previously known as Oak Tree Children’s Centre, the new site has now been revamped into a welcoming family hub, designed to help better meet the needs of local children age 0-18 years and their families.

The school holidays are here, and there’s lots for children and families to see and do across the county this summer.

Highlights include action-packed days out at Adventures, Notts Outdoors holiday clubs, the summer reading challenge with Inspire Libraries, special events at country parks and Nottinghamshire Day.

Councillor Dawn Justice, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health, said:

"I'm proud to oversee our wonderful country parks and our network of libraries as part of my new role. It’s vital for local families and residents to be able to access free and low-cost activities to keep the kids entertained all summer long."