Lord Mayor of Hull, Cllr Brenda Petch (front row, centre) gave a special thank you to those who helped during the floods. Also at the reception were Hull City Council chief executive Kim Ryley (back row, second left) and assistant chief executive David Gibson (back row, fourth left)

Thanks for your help

Representatives from 70 businesses and organisations who lent their support after the floods have received an official thank you.
They were presented with letters of thanks by Lord Mayor of Hull, Cllr Brenda Petch, in a civic reception at The Guildhall.
She said: "It was wonderful to see how everyone pulled together during the flood crisis and I am grateful for this opportunity to express our appreciation for the relief and support provided."

Park is pride and joy

It's official – our favourite place in Hull is East Park.
The park (pictured) finished top in a recent 'Pride of Place' poll on the Internet which asked residents to vote for one of ten different attractions in the city.
More than 36,000 votes were cast in total for attractions including Hull Marina, St. Stephen's and the Museums' Quarter.
The poll was part of the Government's 'Connect to Your Council' campaign which aimed to encourage local people to access their local council services on-line.
The park recently underwent a £10.3 million refurbishment which added a walk-through aviary, a deer park and 3,500 new trees.
Second in the poll was The Deep and third was the 'Avenues' area.
For more information about Hull's attractions or council services please visit www.hullcc.gov.uk

A tasty idea

Yorkshire Forward member and former chairman of Northern Foods, Lord Haskins, who opened the food technology park, and project manager Rachel Field

Do you have a business idea and ambitions to make your mark in the food industry?
If so, Hull's new Food Technology Park at Sutton Fields Industrial Estate could be for you.
The £4m park, funded by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund, is managed by Hull City Council.
It provides incubator units for fledgling food businesses, office and production space, and expert advice all on one site.
"Setting up a food business can be tough as there's so much to consider, such as food labelling and nutritional analysis, but we want to remove some of the stumbling blocks that get in the way of food innovation in our area," said Rachel Field, Malmo Park's project manager.
For more information call 300300.

Boost for docks

A £14.5 million upgrade of the Hull Docks rail freight line will boost jobs and ease traffic congestion in the city.
Work has already begun on the project which includes doubling and strengthening sections of track in order to allow 22 freight trains to travel in and out of the docks each day, rather than the current 10.
"Hull City Council has for a long time been asking for the railway line to be used more effectively in order to ease congestion of lorries on Hedon Road, Castle Street and Clive Sullivan Way," says Cllr Andy Sloan, who is responsible for Hull's economy.
"The investment will also boost the handling capacity of the docks, thereby creating jobs and enabling us to meet rising international demand."
The £14.5m upgrade, funded by Network Rail, ABP and a consortium of regional development agencies called The Northern Way, is due to be completed in May.
It has included the removal of the railway bridge at Ella Street and installing a new double junction at Hessle Road.

The reel thing

Young people in Hull have helped produce a DVD to promote the message of healthy living.
Around 100 young people from school and youth groups across the city worked with the Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust to put together the Make it Reel DVD.
It contains 27 short advertisements with messages to encourage people to stop smoking and live a healthy lifestyle.
"The adverts are punchy, exciting and thought-provoking and because they have been made by local young people they really hit home," said project leader Phillip Lofas, from the PCT's arts and health team.
The DVD is free to anyone working with young people who wants to promote the healthy living message.
To claim a free copy please call Phillip on 617703.

Hospital diary scheme

Children and young people being treated at Hull Royal Infirmary are to be given diaries in a pilot scheme believed to be the first of its kind in the country.
The diaries will enable children to give information about themselves and say what they like and don't like, as well as ask questions about their treatment.
"This will be a chance for children and young people to express their views on their stay in hospital and ultimately help make services for children and young people even better," says Barbara Ryan, from Hull Children's Fund, which helped staff and patients set up the scheme with money from the Youth Opportunity Fund.
The scheme is being launched on January 11.

Have your say on waste management

Do you have the know-how to develop areas of land in Hull or the East Riding into waste facilities?
Do you have views on where the best sites should be?
Hull City Council, along with East Riding of Yorkshire Council, is currently accepting on-line applications from individuals who wish to create centres for managing household, commercial, industrial and /or agricultural waste.
The applications will be used to create a public document entitled the 'Joint Waste Development Plan' which will outline 'issues and options' for using particular sites.
And members of the public will be able to view it and make comments on it, both via the council websites and at customer service centres.
For a 'site bid' form visit www.hullcc.gov.uk.
Meanwhile, Hull City Council's planning committee is looking for five Hull residents to join the Local Liaison Panel for the Energy from Waste facility to be built at Saltend.
The panel, which will meet regularly during the lifetime of the facility, will consider matters relating to its construction and operation. Anyone interested in joining the panel should write to Ian Brown, planning development manager, Planning Services, Kingston House, Bond Street, HU1 3ER

Learn about the Internet

Are you scared of mice? Or to put it more directly are you scared of using a computer?
If so, why not find out about what the Internet could do for you?
A free six-week course being run by Hull Libraries begins on January 10, which will show people how to find and use useful websites.
During two hours per week participants will learn how to book a holiday and find out about travel information as well as use specialist sites covering health, entertainment, and auctions.
They will also visit the Hull City Council website at www.hullcc.gov.uk which has a vast range of other local information.
For more information please call 300300.

Litter crime crackdown

Hull residents are being warned to dispose of their household waste in the correct way – otherwise face a hefty fine.
Staff at Hull City Council's Environmental Crime Unit say they are close to bringing their 200th prosecution in two years against residents who commit fly-tipping offences.
The prosecutions have included an Anlaby Road resident who was ordered to pay more than £1,200 by Hull Magistrates' Court for failing to clean up rubbish left in his back garden, and a Bransholme woman was ordered to pay £100 by the same court for illegally dumping rubbish.
"We will continue to crackdown on the illegal activity of fly-tipping and other forms of environmental crime," said Mark Cornall, the council's environmental crime unit manager.

Speak italian?

From cake decorating to local history and improving your Italian, a range of courses to suit every interest start this month.
They form part of the Hull Adult Community Learning Programme with courses taking place during the daytime and evening from January 7.
Many are held at the Avenues Adult Community Learning Centre in Park Avenue; Eastfield Adult Community Learning Centre in Anlaby Road; Freedom Centre in Preston Road; Ings Adult Community Learning Centre in Ings Road; and various other venues across the city.
The courses, which run from as little as one-and-a-half hours a week, are a way of using up your spare time, gaining qualifications, and improving your employment prospects.
For information on courses, fees, and how to enrol, call 331680.