Work is underway on a major refurbishment programme at children’s playgrounds and community green spaces across Leicester, thanks to Government funding. Leicester City Council has been awarded £1.5 million from the Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund to refurbish and enhance 14 outdoor community spaces across the city. The city council is set to contribute an additional £230,000 of Section 106 developer contributions as match-funding for the project. The new investment wi

A Dozen new large planters are to be installed on Leicester’s Market Street, King Street and St Martins this autumn, as part of ongoing work to green the city centre. The scheme has been developed by Leicester City Council in partnership with BID Leicester to create a more attractive route between New Walk and the city’s Old Town area. It will see 10 planters installed at the King Street end of Market Street and along Market Street itself, and a further two planters place in

A Week of free author talks, workshops, activities and taster sessions will take place across Leicester for Green Libraries Week. Green Libraries Week is an annual celebration of what libraries have to offer, with a focus on the climate and sustainability. Activities are all free, but they fill up fast - so it’s advisable to book now for events taking place during the week, which runs from 21-28 October. Among the events are an evening with Guy Jenkin, the award-winning write

Community groups in Leicester are being invited to take over the running of some neighbourhood buildings. Five buildings are being made available for groups to lease as part of the council’s community asset transfer policy, which has already seen other buildings successfully transferred to local organisations for them to run. Successful organisations are typically not-for-profit community interest companies, social enterprises or charities with a strong understanding of the l

Leicester City Council says it is well on the way to achieving its target of fitting 30 community public access defibrillators (CPADs) community buildings across the city. The lifesaving equipment is being installed on the outside of buildings as part of the Heartshield project - a partnership between the council’s public health team, the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT), and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS). They are in addition to the 121 CPADs already in place in

Blood pressure monitors can be borrowed by adults for free under a new council initiative launched in libraries across Leicester. The city council has made 100 devices available for loan across all city libraries, and members can borrow them free of charge for up to three weeks at a time. It is estimated up to 24,000 people living in Leicester could have high blood pressure and not know it. Around one in three adults in England are affected by the condition. High blood pressu

The proposed closure of New Parks Leisure Centre We at Leicester Media have received the following email from Leicester Penguins Swim Club asking for local support. Please can you help share our story on how the closure of New Parks Leisure Centre will massively impact our club and swimmers. Firstly, as a club that uses the pool for 6 hours a week, we were not informed of the proposed closure until yesterday after the consultation went live and posters were put on the front

Leicester’s Open Streets festival is returning to the city centre with a special heritage-themed event. Taking place around the Clock Tower on Sunday 27 September, this ‘heritage edition’ of the popular mini-festival will celebrate walking and cycling as a great way to visit the city centre and explore Leicester’s culture, stories and landmarks. The free event will include heritage craft workshops, live traditional blacksmithing demonstrations, and a Hidden Histories guided t

Designs for a new walkway that would link Leicester’s Green Dragon Square with St Martin’s Square, and complete the route from Town Hall Square, have been revealed by the city council. The landscaped link would also provide a substantial new, green, open space in the city centre, which would include new trees to provide shade, bee-friendly shrubs, sensory planting and grassed areas. Children’s adventure play equipment made of natural materials would be a key feature of the n