Today, 10 September, is World Suicide Prevention Day and it’s time to talk about suicide, together.

If you’re worried about someone, it’s ok to reach out, bring up difficult topics and ask how you can help or support them. Sometimes just telling someone can feel like a big relief and can be the first step to getting through a difficult time.

If you’re experiencing mental health challenges or suicidal thoughts, reach out to someone you trust or visit the NottAlone website to find a list of free, local support services and charities that can help you. If you’re struggling to cope and need urgent help, call 111 and select option 2.

NottAlone is working with city and county councils to spread the message far and wide. Please, help us break the silence on suicide.

Boost your mental wellbeing at a NottAlone community walk this autumn. Led by NHS Notts Talking Therapies, the walks are fully accessible and a great way to get some fresh air, move your body, and meet new people.

• Sunday 13 September 2026 from 11am to 12 noon at Idle Valley Nature Reserve, Bassetlaw, DN22 8RQ.
• Sunday 11 October 2026 from 11am to 12 noon at Kingsmill Reservoir, Ashfield, NG17 4PA.

No need to book. Just come along and meet at the Talking Therapies banner in the car park, take a gentle walk around the reservoir before finishing in the cafe.

The NHS flu vaccination programme for children and pregnant women starts in September.

If you're pregnant, getting vaccinated helps protect you and your baby from flu and its complications. You can get your free flu vaccine through your GP or maternity service.

If your child is aged 2 or 3 years, they can get a free flu vaccine at their GP practice. School-aged children, from Reception to Year 11, are also eligible for a free flu vaccine to help protect them and reduce the spread of flu to family and friends.

The School Aged Immunisation Service will be visiting schools during the autumn term. Look out for information from your child's school and consent forms from Intrahealth and help protect your family this winter.

Know Your Numbers Week is an annual campaign by Blood Pressure UK running from 7 to 13 September 2026. It encourages everyone in the UK to check their blood pressure to prevent serious health risks.

A recent consumer poll from Blood Pressure UK shows nearly half of adults mistakenly believe high blood pressure comes with clear symptoms, when very often there are no symptoms at all until something serious happens.

If you’re aged 40 to 74 with no pre-existing health conditions, getting a free NHS Health Check can help you keep an eye on your blood pressure and the health of your heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular health). It can tell you whether you're at higher risk of getting certain health problems.

If you have not been invited for an NHS Health Check and think you’re eligible, contact your GP practice.

The Casey Commission has started a Big Conversation to shape the future of adult social care.

This Big Conversation is a national public consultation launched by Baroness Casey on 29 July 2026, to gather public input on adult social care reform in England. It aims to engage one million people across the country, including people who draw on care, carers, families, care workers, and the public, to ensure that future reforms reflect the needs and priorities of those affected.

Last year in Nottinghamshire, we carried out our own Big Conversation and the feedback from the listening events and surveys that took place will be used to develop our local Adult Social Care Plan, setting out our priorities for the future.

The national Big Conversation on Care is an opportunity to share any thoughts or ideas with the Casey Commission and to see - and vote on - what other people have suggested.

Visit the Casey Commission website to find out more and take part.

Sexual Health Week 2026 takes place from 14 to 20 September. This year's theme is ‘Let's connect’ which highlights the importance of meaningful connections in supporting our health and wellbeing.

The campaign explores how stronger connections with ourselves, our relationships, and our communities can help improve sexual health, reduce stigma, and tackle health inequalities.

Connecting with trusted sexual health services is an important part of staying well. Whether you're looking for information, contraception, STI testing, treatment, or specialist support, local sexual health services provide free and confidential care to help people make informed choices about their sexual wellbeing.

Visit the Sexual Health Services Nottingham and Nottinghamshire website to find more information on local services.

Healthwatch Nottingham and Nottinghamshire has started a new chapter with a new name - Community Voices Matter.

They deliver Healthwatch on our behalf and their mission remains the same, to listen to local people and use your experiences to help improve local health and care services.

They also provide health information and advice to help you live well, from how to register with a GP and look after your mental health, to citizen's advice and knowing your rights.

Find more information on their website.

Thousands more people will be able to get free protection against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), a common virus that can cause serious lung infections and pneumonia in older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

From 1 September 2026, the RSV vaccine will be offered to adults aged 65 to 74 years who have a chronic respiratory disease, such as severe asthma, chronic bronchitis or cystic fibrosis, or who are immunosuppressed due to a health condition or treatment.

The vaccine remains available to adults aged 75 and over, older adult care home residents and pregnant women (from 28 weeks). Eligible people can book through their GP practice or maternity service.

With over 700 nominations received across 12 categories, this year's Proud to Care Awards once again showcase the incredible people, teams and organisations making a difference across the adult social care sector.

Here's what has been happening behind the scenes in preparation for award night:

• 703 nominations received
• every nomination read and reviewed
• all nominations were anonymised before entries were judged
• 93 nominations were shortlisted
• judges were people from local authorities, health partners, Skills for Care, sponsors, previous winners/finalists and people with lived experience
• 18 hours of panel discussions took place
• 36 finalists were selected
• the Excellence in Dementia Care Award was independently judged by Vicky McClure's Our Dementia Choir.

Our Awards Celebration Evening takes place on Friday 9 October. Well done to all the nominees and good luck to all our finalists!

The Big Future is a national survey launched by the Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza. It gives children and young people the chance to share their views, experiences, and hopes for the future, to help shape policies and services.

It only takes around five minutes to complete, and the questions have been designed to be easy to read and accessible for all children.

Please share the survey with youngsters before the closing date of Friday 23 October 2026.