AS CHRISTMAS approaches, the Victoria Centre is offering free parking for late-night shoppers.

It will be free from 4pm to 10pm every day from now until Christmas Eve.

Liz Sewell, marketing manager at the centre, said: "There's a lot to organise this time of year so we're making shopping even easier with free parking.

"This is our way of saying a big thank you to all of our customers and to wish them a merry Christmas."

Customers can also enjoy the shopping centre's Grotto, Snow Globe and its festive decorations.

PASSIONATE volunteers have stepped in to help a local heritage museum open its doors more often.

The Museum of Nottingham Life used to be open to the public from Tuesdays to Sundays, but had to scale back its operations after losing its funding from Nottingham City Council in April.

This meant it could only open to schools and other pre-booked groups.

However, more than 60 people responded to an appeal for volunteers in July and they are now helping the Brewhouse Yard museum keep its place on the Nottingham tourist scene.

Zoe Sussmeyer, a volunteer programme co-ordinator at the museum, was overjoyed by support shown.

"We are now developing projects with volunteers, said Zoe, 37. " They don't just come in and welcome the public, they get involved in a whole number of things".

"We have got a gardening group sorting out a dig for the Victory garden and we are going to get people trained up to do tours."

The museum is now open to the public on the first weekend of every month and it will be open every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday from Easter 2013.

A new round of volunteer recruitment will also be held in the spring.

Patrick Holloway was one of the volunteers who helped to bring the museum, which depicts a 300-year history of the city, back to life.

"I've always been interested in history," said Patrick, who grew up in Arnold and now lives in Woodthorpe.

"The museum is a place everyone can relate to. Grandparents bring their grandchildren and point out the toys they used to play with, before Playstations.

"I've found it really satisfying and would love to keep volunteering," added the 65-year-old.

Another volunteer at the museum, Claire Simpson, decided to help as she had such fond memories of the museum from childhood.

"I thought it was really sad that it may face closure, said Claire, 40, of Sherwood.

"It's such a lovely building. "

Councillor Dave Trimble, portfolio holder for leisure, culture and tourism in the city, said: "We are delighted with the success of the volunteer programme, which has enabled regular public access to the museum.

"The interest in volunteering has been huge and volunteers have shown a lot of energy and enthusiasm for Nottingham's history, and how it can be shared with visitors."

A spokesperson from Experience Nottinghamshire said: "We are thrilled to see volunteers have stepped in to support the Museum of Nottingham Life, which is much loved across the city.

"Volunteers play a significant role in the support of the visitor economy."

For more details about volunteering, call Zoe on 0115 876 2205 or volunteer programme coordinator Karen Lushey on 0115 876 2187.

SERIOUS concerns have been raised after Rushcliffe Borough Council slashed 4,000 off the number of homes it expects to build before 2026.

A Government planning inspector has sent the council a seven-page list of concerns, demanding more evidence to justify its proposals.

The previous Government set the council a target of 13,400 new homes, but the coalition promised to axe these targets, giving councils more freedom to set their own.

The original targets have not yet been legally removed but nevertheless, Rushcliffe submitted plans to build only 9,400 homes.

Jill Kingaby, the planning inspector appointed by the Government to examine Rushcliffe's plans, has expressed serious concerns about whether the plans meet all the legal requirements.

She said: "The justification for the proposed numbers of new housing is unclear" and added the plans will provide "substantially fewer" homes than originally sought.

She also questioned whether the council had even submitted a "sound plan" as so many late modifications were submitted very soon after.

"The number and depth of these changes from Rushcliffe is worrying," she said.

Since 2006 the council has only given permission for about 324 houses per year, which falls well short of the Government target of 750 per year and is described as a "high level of under-delivery" by Ms Kingaby.

The inspector also criticised the council's public consultation.

But Councillor Neil Clarke, leader of the Conservative council, said: "We are obviously disappointed by the planning inspector's remarks but later this week we will be providing a robust response to the comments she has made.

"I am extremely concerned and angry that if the Inspector doesn't feel that we have provided for enough housing to meet the need, then we will be forced, against our residents' wishes to undertake the very difficult task of allocating more land, which will probably have to be in the green belt.

"This is exactly the scenario councillors have been fighting to avoid for many years. I am anxious that the number of houses we may be required to plan for could radically alter the character of Rushcliffe that our residents cherish.

"What I find particularly frustrating is that I think we have developed a realistic and ambitious plan that will deliver the maximum number of houses that could possibly be built by 2026.

"The developers will have to build more houses every year for the next 13 years than has ever been achieved before, even in boom years.

"If the Inspector requires us to plan for lots more houses they will not be able to be built, so the plan won't be sound and it will just be an academic exercise."

He said it was "frustrating" that the housing targets had not been scrapped by the Government, and said: "We may now have to withdraw our plan and accept some delay whilst the Government completes the lengthy process of abolishing the ridiculous and unjustified housing targets imposed by the regional plan."

A FORMER rail safety expert had highlighted the dangers of a crossing where a teenage girl died after being hit by a tram.

Lindsey Inger, 13, of Bulwell, died at the crossing near Bestwood Village on November 28.

The tragedy came almost four years after a woman and her grandson were killed at the same place.

Peter Rayner, former British Rail head of safety, inspected the crossing last year on behalf of a cyclist who survived being hit by a tram in 2003.

He set out his concerns to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in a series of letters between September 2011 and January this year.

In the first letter to ORR chief executive Richard Price, Mr Rayner concluded that "if action is not taken soon to improve the present situation another fatality will take place sooner rather than later.

"The present arrangements with a chicane, confusing signage, incorrectly placed gates and a lack of audio or visual warnings... presents a potentially dangerous situation."

Mr Rayner added: "These concerns are such that had this installation been drawn to our attention when we were in the final stage of our active railway careers and in charge of the operation and signalling of this stretch of railway, changes would have been made urgently."

In response, HM Inspector of Railways John Cullen said he had given a "good deal of consideration" to the concerns and had revisited the crossing.

Of a suggestion to install gates, Mr Cullen wrote: "We consider the gates at either side of the Network Rail crossing to be of acceptably similar design and size.

"However, I agree with your comment that safety on the crossing could be improved by moving the sanctuary gate and hence the decision point, closer to the running line.

"This will improve sighting for users to the north by removing the signal gantry as an obstacle. This will also shorten the length of the crossing.

"The absence of gates on the tram side of the crossing is in accordance with current tramway standards and guidance."

Sherwood MP Mark Spencer has called for changes at the crossing after receiving Mr Rayner's correspondence.

He has written to tram operators NET, the ORR, and the Health and Safety Executive asking for their thoughts.

Mr Spencer said: "My first reaction to a certain extent is one of disbelief.

"Clearly there was a recognition within the rail industry that this was bad. There had been correspondence 14 months earlier [before Lindsey's death] between the expert and regulators and yet we still find ourselves in the circumstances where someone else has been killed.

"It's my role to make sure we don't find ourselves back here in the future.

"I will be pressuring the rail authorities to come up with a feasible, realistic plan that's going to stop this from happening.

"It needs some form of gate or audible warning when trams are coming."

Lindsey's death has also led her family and neighbours to call for a safety review.

A public meeting to discuss the crossing will be held tomorrow at the community centre next door to Bestwood Miners' Welfare Club, Park Road, from 6.30pm.

TEACHERS could strike again in the new year over changes to term times.

Nottingham City Council has decided to press ahead with plans to alter holiday dates in its schools.

Teacher strikes earlier this year led to school closures.

The National Union of Teachers' is considering whether to ballot members on strike action.

Ian Stevenson, regional secretary, said if action is taken, it is likely to happen in the new year.

He said: "It's with our action committee right now. There's no rush from our point of view. We are in a position where we can take our time to look at this and decide how and when to take action.

"We are campaigning against this and will be considering various strategies for how we go about it."

School term times are set to change in Nottingham from September next year.

There will be a two-week break in October, a fixed break at the end of the spring term and a summer holiday of five weeks, rather than six.

It is the latter which has caused the most consternation among unions.

Initially, the city council had wanted to split the school year into five equal terms in a bid to raise standards. After the strikes, negotiations between unions and council chiefs followed, eventually leading to the authority's alternative proposal, which was approved by councillors in November.

Since that decision, the unions have been discussing what steps to take behind closed doors.

The NUT revealed that a survey of its members showed that the majority were against the changes and were prepared to go on strike again.

Mr Stevenson hopes there is a chance the council might still make a full U-turn.

He added: "We are against this move. It is the wrong move.

"We are looking to continue our opposition to what we think are proposals that no one wants.

"The council changed its mind on the five-term year but seems to have been concentrating on saving face rather than doing the right thing."

The city council says that changing term times will improve attainment in the city, which has been low for many years.

Councillor David Mellen, portfolio holder for children's services, says the move is based on research.

One of the council's main arguments has been that the traditional six-week summer break is too long and leads to children forgetting what they have learned.

Mr Mellen said: "Research has told us that the six-week summer holiday can be a difficulty for some children.

"My experience as a head teacher in the city has shown me that where there is not a lot of money in a family to go on holidays or trips, at the end of the summer holiday children may not be in the same place with their learning in September as they were in July."

A 19-YEAR-OLD man who tried to blackmail his brothers out of £3,000 by falsely claiming he had been kidnapped has been jailed for a total of two years.

Tamjeed Ali had denied blackmailing his brothers Forhad and Tanveer between January 22 and January 25, and a further charge of perverting the course of justice.

He was found guilty of all three charges following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court last month.

Ali, 19, of Cromwell Street, Radford, was yesterday jailed for 18 months for one blackmail charge, and 18 months concurrently for the other. He also received a six-month jail term for the perverting the course of justice charge, to be served consecutively to the blackmail offence.

The court had heard evidence Forhad Ali received a telephone call from a man saying they had his brother and he had five to ten minutes to raise the cash.

A few hours later, Forhad Ali received another call to say if he did not pay he would be collecting his brother from the River Trent.

Two other men, Perry Mason, 22, of Cromwell Street, Radford, and Kieron Martt, 22, of Raleigh Street, Radford, admitted their part in the blackmail at a previous hearing.

Mason was jailed for 20 months for one blackmail charge, and handed a 20-month jail term for the other to run concurrently.

Martt was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one blackmail charge, with a 15-month jail term for the other also to run concurrently.

PATIENTS taking a common sleeping pill are at increased risk of contracting pneumonia and dying, Nottingham research has found.

The research into patients taking benzodiazepines was carried out by the University of Nottingham and published in the journal Thorax – an international journal of respiratory medicine.

It was led by Eneanya Obiora, a student in the School of Community Health Sciences under the supervision of Richard Hubbard, a professor of respiratory epidemiology and Dr Puja Myles, an expert in infectious disease epidemiology.

Professor Hubbard said: "These drugs are commonly prescribed medications that have significant immune effects. Deep sleep induced by these drugs may mean that secretions can build up in the lungs. Our results suggest that they may increase both the risk of and mortality from pneumonia."

Benzodiazepines are a class of commonly prescribed sleeping pills used as sedatives for anxiety, epilepsy, muscle spasm, alcohol withdrawal, palliative care, insomnia and to provide sedation.

The research team looked at just under 5,000 patients of all ages who had been diagnosed with pneumonia. They compared each of them with six similar people, matched by age and sex and drawn from the same GP practice that had not contracted the condition.

The study found that taking benzodiazepine was associated with a 54 per cent increased risk of pneumonia and those who did contract it were a fifth more likely to die within a month and a third more like to die within three years.

Current users of the drugs were 90 per cent more likely to contract pneumonia whereas past users were 40 per cent more likely to contract the lung condition.

Dr Myles said: "Our results are consistent with data from previous clinical trials which have raised concerns over the effects of these drugs in critically ill patients."

A TAKEAWAY driver needed hospital treatment after he was hit in the face by a bottle thrown as he sat in his car.

The 21-year-old was struck just above the lip and needed stitches after the incident in Station Road, Sandiacre, at 7pm on Friday.

Police say he had wound down his window to get a better view of the traffic while waiting at a junction.

As he did so he saw a group of three men and a woman approaching.

One of the men threw the bottle, before the group ran off.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Derbyshire police on 101.

FOUR men have been arrested in connection with an altercation in Nottingham during which another man was injured.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) and affray.

Three other men, one aged 26 and two aged 24, were also arrested on suspicion of affray in connection with the incident.

All four were bailed pending further enquiries.

It follows an incident at the Shell petrol station in Priory Island, at around 12.25am on October 6, when a 28-year-old man received a puncture wound to his neck.

He was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre for treatment and was subsequently discharged.

Anyone with any information about the incident should contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

CRICKET chiefs at Trent Bridge are confident they are winning the war against ticket touts ahead of next year's Ashes Test match.

Notts County Cricket Club is furious that tickets sold for the five-day match next July are on internet auction sites at hugely inflated prices.

The Post previously reported that they have vowed to get the tickets removed and to ban people caught selling them from the ground.

Up to 600 tickets had been identified. Dozens have already been taken off sale.

A spokesman for the club said all tickets on eBay had been removed, while getmein.com had also agreed to remove all tickets.

However it is still battling to get tickets removed from other sites, like Viagogo.

When the Post looked yesterday, tickets were on sale for the first day of the game for as much as £679 – more than eight times the face value of £80.

Club chief executive Lisa Pursehouse said tickets found online will be cancelled and re-sold to those who missed out.

She said: "Some ticket re-seller sites are providing a marketplace in which individuals can breach our ground regulations, so we feel that we have to challenge them on behalf of our members and ticket buyers.

"Our message to genuine supporters is to resist the temptation to buy tickets from re-seller sites because it does perpetuate the problem."

Tickets for the match on July 10 to 14 next year, went on sale in October, selling out within hours. The club's ticket hotline saw huge demand, with some fans waiting for hours and thousands left disappointed and placed on a waiting list.

Auction websites allow people who have bought tickets for some sports and music concerts to sell them on.

It is illegal to do this with football tickets but not in other sports. It does however contravene ground regulations at Trent Bridge.

One of those who missed out on tickets, Tom Smith, 22, of West Bridgford, was pleased the club was taking action.

He said: "It is the right thing to do. Buying tickets for the sole purpose of selling them on for a profit is completely wrong.

"Those who do it clearly have no thought for those who want to buy the tickets because they love the game and want to see the Ashes Test match."

ONE of Britain's most influential retailers has called on Nottingham to make sure it cements its position as the fifth biggest shopping destination outside London. Andy Street, the chief executive of John Lewis, says the city must make sure it refreshes its main shopping centres while ensuring visitors are given more reasons to come to the city and spend time there.

He spoke out as Nottingham waits to find out about Capital Shopping Centres' plans for both the Victoria Centre and Broadmarsh – both viewed as in need of substantial updating.

John Lewis remains the anchor store in the Victoria Centre, and the employee-owned retailer looks likely to announce a substantial investment in its presence there next year.

But Mr Street, who visited the store on Friday, said a challenging economy and competition from other destinations meant Nottingham and its key retail stakeholders must show soon that they are investing in the future.

"Three things need to happen here," Mr Street told Business Post.

"You need a city centre as a whole that is dynamic, because you can't depend on people coming here just because of the Victoria Centre.

"The second thing is that the Victoria Centre does need to be refreshed because it looks its age. I'm optimistic that Capital Shopping Centres is making progress there.

"Finally, the centre does need to refresh its mix of tenants, which all destinations have to do from time to time."

Mr Street's comments come as the city is still waiting to see detailed plans for the expansion of the Victoria Centre and the refurbishment of Broadmarsh, which CSC bought from rival shopping centre developer Westfield in 2010 on the eve of a major revamp.

CSC has since been working with the international architect Benoy and the property consultancy FHP on its plans for the city, but no announcement has been made.

John Lewis is one of the UK's best-performing retailers, and Mr Street's comments will be seen as a reminder that Nottingham has ground to make up.

The long-established partnership, which also includes the food chain Waitrose, is seen as having responded to the challenge posed by online retailing much more adeptly than some of its high street rivals.

Mr Street said he was entirely comfortable with the concept of "roboshoppers" – people who research their purchases offline in stores, but buy online.

The numbers of people purchasing through the John Lewis website has rocketed to around a quarter of sales, with many customers engaging in "click-and-collect" – buying through the website but collecting in store.

"What we know is that most people who buy online will have done some research in our shops," he said.

"I'm absolutely fine with all this because it doesn't matter to me whether they buy online or in the shop."

Mr Street does not believe all retail destinations have yet appreciated the scale and nature of the change wrought by the growth of online shopping.

"It means different things for different destinations," he said. "

For the successful centres like Nottingham it means that people need to be able to come for a day out, do their research, have that sensory experience and then perhaps do their transaction online.

"But it is much more challenging for secondary and tertiary locations where they will not have chain stores to act as a pull.

"Places like Nottingham have got to be thinking about how they can become destinations where people can have a full-on experience.

"So you also have to think about things like transport, how easy it is to park, about leisure.

"You've also got to consider the shops themselves – the different areas you have in a city and making sure you have units of the right size and shape."

While other high street chains have struggled, with major names like Comet collapsing, John Lewis has chalked up consistent growth.

But Mr Street admitted it had been a challenge to marry the drive for growth with the maintenance of customer service standards which it is historically associated with.

He said: "It is a challenge, but we think we're winning. Our service has got to be as good if you have an online delivery as it is in store. We've had to look very closely at our processes to make sure they're reliable."

Mr Street came to the Nottingham store at its most critical trading period of the year.

A seasoned hand at sniffing the air, he said the store's trading was "where it needed to be" with two weekends remaining before Christmas.

"The shop has been busy right from the start this morning, which is just as it should be," he told Business Post.

"As we speak, there are 18 days left to go, and we are where we need to be in terms of the numbers of people transferring interest into activity at the tills.

"The critical test is how busy the tills are and what I call the bag count – which tells me people are actually buying things."

He added: "We have got to continue to invest here in Nottingham because in retailing you cannot stand still and as an anchor we cannot afford to be static.

"We haven't finalised things yet, but I expect to be making an announcement about major investment here next year."

It comes as new figures show stroke patients in Nottingham have a better chance of survival than ever before.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has revealed that deaths from strokes in and around the city have dropped by nearly a third – even though the number of people having them is on the rise.

Malcolm said: "I thought I was going to die, I'm so thankful I'm still here."

The city's high level of smokers, obese people and an aging population have been cited as some of the reasons why hospitals have seen a five per cent rise in strokes.

Latest figures show 1,015 people in 2011-12 had a stroke – which can show itself as either a haemorrhage or a blood clot on the brain which causes a blockage and cuts off circulation.

But despite the rise in admissions, improved medical care has seen the death rate fall by almost a third. In 2008-9, 964 people were admitted with strokes and 199 of them died. In 2011-12 the hospitals had 1,015 stroke admissions and only 137 people died.

Head of stroke services Dawn Good said: "We're making good progress. I am encouraged by these figures, we have to carry on doing the simple things well."

CCTV shows the moment Mr Wheatley had a stroke while on a bus to his home in Top Valley. He said: "It was a very strange feeling. I didn't know what was happening to me and I lost all control of my body."

Doctors saw widower Mr Wheatley very quickly and gave him a clot-busting drug injection, and after several weeks in hospital he is expected to make a good recovery.

DEXTER Blackstock today insisted he is ready to talk about a new deal at Nottingham Forest – but says he has heard nothing from the club.

The striker's contract expires in the summer and, in just a few weeks, in January, he will be free to talk to other clubs about a free-transfer move in the summer.

Blackstock, who scored as the Reds beat Burnley 2-0 last weekend, is keen to remain at the City Ground, where he is a popular figure with supporters.

And he urged the club to open talks over a new deal, saying: "It is not that hard to get hold of me. People know where I am!

"There has not been any movement. There have not been any talks. I don't know what I can say… I am here.

"We are in mid-December now, almost. January is almost here. But what can I do?

"I have a great rapport with the fans, I love being here. It is a great club to play for and I hope that continues. But I have not been offered a contract."

Blackstock says he is relaxed about the situation and will continue to give his all on the pitch, regardless of what happens off it.

"It is not a case of being disappointed. I don't run the club, I do not control the finances here. I don't know what the club have planned," he said.

"These are decisions that need to be made by the hierarchy of the club. I am not going to be disappointed about something I have no control over.

"I have a contract that runs until the end of the season. I am fully prepared to work hard to fulfil that. I have not officially been offered a new contract. What can I do?

"We have had conversations in the past about players leaving the club for nothing. But it is out of my hands."

Regardless of his own long-term future, Blackstock does believe he will be part of a challenge for promotion to the top flight between now and May – as long as the squad manage to transform their individual quality into team performances on the pitch.

"When you look at the players who are in the squad, who are on the bench and who are not even involved, we have one of the best squads in the Championship on paper," he said.

"But paper teams win paper cups, don't they?

"It is about doing it out there on the grass.

"You have to produce that quality on the pitch and that is what we are aiming to do. We believe that we can."

IT has been a hectic year and it is only now, in December, that Sam Hynd can properly celebrate.

For the Sutton-in-Ashfield swimmer, the Paralympics had been the sole focus.

His life had been in the swimming pool and at his home Paralympics in London, he added bronze in the 400m S8 freestyle to the gold he won in Beijing.

It was his younger brother Oliver who won silver in the same race, as well as a gold and bronze during the course of the Games.

But for Sam, the year was still a success and the brotherly rivalry will turn up a notch in 2013 with the World Long Course Championships in Canada – the gold medal Sam is missing.

He has been back in the pool for the best part of two months, getting in a solid block of training prior to the new year.

But, after turning 21 back in July, only now is Hynd getting the chance to celebrate in style.

This month he is crossing the Atlantic for a holiday in New York.

And he plans to make the most of it in the run up to Christmas.

Hynd said: "It is a delayed holiday, a delayed birthday present.

"I have never been before so I am so excited. I have been to Florida but not New York.

"But at this time of year, with all the Christmas lights up, it is going to be great.

"I can do some Christmas shopping and see all the sights, it will be a great end to the year."

While it will be a fairytale of New York, it was not the golden fairytale at the Olympics for Sam.

But while he was proud to share the podium with brother Oliver, all focus now turns to the worlds.

He missed out four years ago following a serious car crash, but in Canada the aim is to medal – and hopefully add gold to the ones he won at the Paralympics in Beijing in 2008 and at the Europeans.

He said: "The trials are in April so that is the first focus and everybody will be getting a hard block of training in.

"It is a case of ticking over until the new year and then really ploughing into it.

"I missed the last one in Eindhoven because of the accident and hopefully I can go to Canada and add a medal to the others I have won.

"I am 21 now and there are younger lads coming through. And with me, it is even my younger brother.

"But I do not think the fire ever dies in you as an athlete and you always want to be the best you can be.

"This is also my job and whatever I was doing, I would always strive to be the best.

"I really want to medal at the worlds, first and foremost, but I am looking for gold.

"You can only control what you do so I would be looking for a personal best time and then hope that is enough.

"You have to be true to yourself and make sure you leave the pool knowing you have given your best performance.

"But it is getting so competitive. People talk about grassroots swimming and the development programmes and they are working, we have such a bright future in the sport.

"I have Oliver pushing me and we hear of Team Hynd, but we are still individuals competing. We have good banter but we are not arch enemies or anything like that."

In fact, despite Sam living down in Newport, they are still in regular contact, sharing their experiences in and out of the pool like any normal siblings.

And sharing that Paralympic experience in London is something that will never be matched.

But Hynd is confident Rio de Janeiro can put on a great show in 2016 when they play host.

And he hopes the Brazilians build on the momentum of this summer's Paralympics, when stadiums were sold out for nearly every event.

"Rio is a big aim of mine and Oliver," said Sam. "But there are many other events to concentrate on before then. There are a lot of hurdles to get over in the meantime.

"But London was just superb in getting people interested in disability sport across all disciplines and you would hope the organisers in Brazil will look to build on that momentum.

"It has raised the profile around the world and been a bit of a whirlwind but it is getting bigger and bigger. Now it is about being proactive.

"It has flown by since London but in some ways, it feels like a lifetime ago.

"But I can't wait to get going again next year – and the aim is the worlds."

First, however, he has to hit the shops of New York!

Sam Hynd is a member of the British Gas GBR Disability Swimming Team. British Gas has been the principal partner of British Swimming since 2009 and is encouraging everyone in Britain to discover the benefits of swimming. Visit www.facebook.com/BGSwimming

There is just over a week left for budding Nottingham based photographers to win a prize by submitting their snapshots of people, places and celebrations to national photographic competition Community in Focus.

There are two categories in the competition - inspiring images of community life, and photos of projects funded by theBig Lottery Fund making a positive difference to people and communities. You can visit the Big Lottery Fund Grants website for details of local projects.

Check out our examples above and if you feel you can represent Nottingham with some quality photos, send one over!

The competition runs until Wednesday 19 December 2012 , and entries must be submitted via the Media Trust Cam360 website or via the Cam360 iPhone app. All entries must be supplied with a caption explaining when the photo was taken and how it illustrates what is brilliant about Nottingham, or a Big Lottery Fund project. For full details please visit the Media Trust website.

Communities in Focus has been launched by the Big Lottery Fund and national charity Media Trust, in partnership with the Thisis and LocalPeople community websites sites run by Visit Northcliffe Digital - including This Is Nottingham.

IT WAS not so long ago that John Dempster got close to getting out on the pitch to face a Premier League giant in the FA Cup.

But when he signed for Crawley Town in January 2011, from Kettering, he always knew he would be cup tied as his side headed to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in the fourth round a month later.

He watched from the bench and loved the experience, as the then Blue Square Bet Premier side battled hard only to lose 1-0 in front of the television cameras.

And now he wants to make sure a similar story can be served up in north Nottinghamshire, only this time he wants to play an integral part.

The Mansfield Town central defender knows victory against league rivals Lincoln in tonight's second round replay will set up a third round showdown against Liverpool at the One Call Stadium.

And with such a big prize in front of them, a chance to come up against the likes of Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez, the 29-year-old is determined to make sure they take care of business tonight, after a 3-3 draw in the original tie at Sincil Bank.

"Some of my earliest memories are watching the FA Cup as a kid with my dad, some great matches and I have been fortunate to get some good draws as a player with Kettering and with Crawley last year, drawing Manchester United," he said.

"I was cup tied but it was a great experience and something you have to cherish because it was a great tie to be involved in for everybody.

"I knew I would be cup tied but I still travelled and sat on the bench so you got half the experience, if you like, but not quite the same as if you would have been running out at Old Trafford.

"Liverpool have won the FA Cup on many occasions and it is a target of theirs this year but they are going to have to get past Mansfield or Lincoln first. But all we can do is concentrate on Lincoln."

Dempster joined from Crawley in the summer after a loan spell with the Stags last season but after three games, went out on loan for a month to Tamworth to get some game time.

Since returning, he has captained the side and started to form a good partnership with Exodus Geohaghon at the heart of the back four.

He said: "As a group of players we started quite slowly, our form has improved but there is still room for improvement.

It is coincidental really because in my month at Tamworth, I came up against Lincoln so this will be my fourth time this season already. I have plenty of experience against them.

"This is a massive game in itself with two rivals battling it out with the carrot at the end of it being Liverpool. It does not really get much bigger.

"This is a massive opportunity for both clubs to make some big money out of it and that is something we have to take into consideration. It is important for the players, supporters and the club as well.

"Both clubs are going to be going at it and the reward is huge for who comes out on top and it should make for some interesting viewing."

The game will be shown live on ESPN and a sea of trucks dominated the One Call car park yesterday as they began to set up.

But with freezing temperatures today and yesterday, frost covers were put down on Monday to protect the pitch.

ESPN have also helped to bring in specialist heaters, with a tented cover being put on yesterday allowing hot air to be pumped under to keep the pitch soft right up until the covers come off, something that will be as late as possible.

It means the only problem should be if the temperature plummets so much that the pitch then freezes during the game once the covers have been lifted.

Everyone at the One Call are confident it will go ahead and one way or another, Liverpool's opponents in the next round will be decided this evening.

And Dempster says, as soon as they step out tonight, all focus will be on the job in front of them against Lincoln and not Liverpool.

He said: "We all watched the draw and when Liverpool came out, you can't help but get excited. You talk about it, dream about it and it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"We got a last-minute goal to get the replay and it was a roller-coaster match. I'm sure there will be some ups and downs in this game but there is a lot to look forward to.

"But naturally when you run out on to that pitch all focus goes on Lincoln, as soon as you start playing. Nothing else – not Liverpool. Hopefully, at the end, we will be giving our fans plenty to cheer about."

A CARLTON couple are planning to start a "new adventure" after getting married – by moving to Scotland.

Laura English and Tom Bunting plan to move to the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, in January with Laura's five-year-old daughter, Jemima.

The couple, of Burton Road, Carlton, were married at the Full Moon pub, in Morton, on August 24.

Their wedding came two years after Laura, 37, was injured in a car crash while on holiday in Scotland in August, 2010.

Her mother, Christine Beard, 55, was also injured and died in September 2010 after suffering a pulmonary embolism at her home in Padleys Lane, Burton Joyce.

Laura said her mum would have loved the wedding, which had a Wind in the Willows theme. Around 40 guests, including people who helped Laura and her family following the accident and Mrs Beard's death, were invited.

The theme included sunflowers, which were Mrs Beard's favourite, while some of her favourite sayings were included in Laura's bouquet.

Laura said: "Tom wanted to wear a tweed jacket and made a joke about dressing like Toad of Toad Hall, and we just went with it.

"Mum wouldn't have wanted a traditional day for us either. We were very mindful of that."

Laura suffered mobility problems after shattering her foot and breaking her back in the accident.

The couple got together in April 2011 after Laura returned to work at Nottingham Prison, where Tom, 35, also worked.

She said: "He's been mine and Jemima's guardian angel. I had someone to share the hardships with, and Jemima had someone who was healthy, who could run after her.

"Tom actually got Jemima to propose to me for him. Jemima gave me the ring and asked if we can keep him."

Laura now works for East Midlands Ambulance Service, but intends to become a nurse practitioner at a GP surgery on the Isle of Lewis. Of the move, Laura said: "We decided as a family we would go and start a new adventure and chapter."

SCHOOL pupils are to brave the cold to make sure their Christmas show goes ahead this year.

The production at Awsworth Primary School looked like it wouldn't go ahead after refurbishment work to the hall meant there was little space to rehearse or perform.

However, teachers Ian Baxter and Claire Watson stepped in and suggested the school put on the performance outside.

After a month of rehearsals, children from year 5 and 6 will now be hoping for warm and dry weather as they perform the Dickens classic David Copperfield, in the school's playground.

Head teacher Jane Mainprize said: "It's all come together against all odds and the children are really excited about the performance.

"There was a sense of disappointment when the original plans were cancelled, but we understand how important the refurbishment work is to the school.

"But then two teachers came up with the idea of holding the performance outside, which is fantastic.

"The pupils have been learning about the Victorians so performing David Copperfield in the cold will give the students a real appreciation of what life was like then."

Two performances will be held at the school – one tomorrow for the pupils and another for parents on Friday, at 2.20pm.

Mrs Mainprize said: "The performances will be short, because we don't want the children getting too cold, and we will be serving hot chocolate and mulled wine for the parents."

Among the pupils taking part in the performance will be 11-year-old James Clarke, who will be playing David Copperfield.

He said: "The play is something that I have been looking forward to for a long time.

"I think the cold will give the play a really good atmosphere and hopefully our costumes will keep us warm.

"I feel a little bit nervous about the play, but it should be a really good thing to be part of."

Ian Baxter, year 5 and 6 teacher and teaching coordinator, said: "The children have taken to the challenge really well – it was a case that we looked at the situation and decided that it would be a great idea to hold the performance outside.

"We have told the children to wear plenty of layers to make sure they are warm and we are keeping an eye on the weather forecast.

"I think we can deal with the cold on the playground without too many problems.

"The play is coming together really well and now we're all set to put on a great show."

THINGS are already changing for teachers in Nottingham and Notts. They are being subjected to much tougher inspections, while different holiday patterns are being introduced.

Now changes are set to be made to how they are awarded pay rises.

The traditional method of increasing pay depending on length of service is set to be replaced by performance-related pay under suggestions from the School Teachers' Review Body.

While the move has been welcomed in some circles, others have slammed it as damaging for the profession.

Ivan Wels, joint division secretary for the National Union of Teachers, said he was "shocked" by the move. "This is a return to the Victorian system of payment by results," he said. "You don't get pay rises unless you can prove by tests or exam scores you merit it.

"That system was abolished because it was ineffective and leads to cheating, because people's livelihoods are at stake.

"It is not focusing on what matters, which is providing a good education for kids in our schools.

"In all, it could be disastrous from an education point of view. It will be a completely unfair way of doing things."

Other unions have also spoken out against it, with Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers saying it would be "a disaster for children's education".

The move is being brought in to make it easier for heads to recruit and reward the most talented staff. Pay rises would be rewarded depending on annual reviews.

Subject to consultation, it could be brought in by September next year.

Currently, qualified teachers start on a salary of just over £21,500. They are eligible to move up the pay scale each September. Under the new regulations, this would not happen unless they received a good annual review.

Barry Day, chief executive of the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust, which runs Nottingham Academy and Nottingham Girls' Academy, doesn't believe it would be such a radical step.

He said: "We already have a system of performance-related pay, where the best quality teachers get promoted for the work they do. This move is simply taking it a step further.

"For classroom teachers who have been there for a number of years, they have different levels that they can move through, so this is also performance related.

"People shouldn't progress with their pay if they are not doing their job. You wouldn't expect it in industry, so it shouldn't happen in schools."

Robin Fugill, principal at Arnold Hill Academy, is also in favour. He said: "I think it can be a positive move for schools. It can act as a real motivation factor for staff and a great way to pay excellent teachers.

"My experience is that the majority of teachers in the profession are dedicated people that put in hours over and above their day job to get lessons planned for pupils."

Parent Mark Steele, 37, of Mansfield, said: "It will hopefully reward teachers for the job they do.

"I don't see it having motivational aspects as most teachers strive to do what is best for students."