The University of Nottingham will join a host of local organisations to mark Nottinghamshire Day – a day where people are encouraged to celebrate all that is good in our county.

The inaugural Nottinghamshire Day will take place on Wednesday 25 August and comes as part of a new drive to boost tourism and culture in the area.

It aims to celebrate the identity, heritage and local customs of Nottinghamshire as well as supporting local communities to understand the history and traditions of the places they live, work and enjoy their leisure time.

To mark the occasion, the university will be flying the county flag on its iconic Trent Building throughout the day. A handful of flag-raising events are planned around the county, but this year the celebrations will be primarily virtual.

Everyone is encouraged to join in on social media by sharing what they love about where they live using the hashtag #NottsDay.

As a bedrock in the local community since its formal establishment in 1948, the university has historically played a vital part in driving forward Nottinghamshire’s culture and economy – from ground-breaking innovations in medical education, to pioneering collaborations that have been replicated around the world.

The university generates around £677m towards the local economy every year, and around £781m towards the wider East Midlands region. In addition, our campuses and many of the state-of-the-art facilities on them act as community hubs that all members of the public can enjoy.

Nottingham Lakeside Arts, which is based on the university’s award-winning University Park campus, provides a hub of culture for people from all over the city, with thousands of people attending social and cultural events at the university each year.

University Executive Board lead for Civic and Regional matters, Professor Jeremy Gregory said: “Nottinghamshire has an incredibly rich and varied history and, throughout that history, has always proved to be a forward-thinking and innovative county.

“I’m proud that the University of Nottingham can be a part of that tradition, taking a key role in transforming Nottinghamshire for the better.

“And by linking up with another great institution in the county, Nottingham Trent University, and 150 local partners, our Universities for Nottingham initiative aims to change the lives of local people positively and put in place improvements for this generation and the next.”

Universities for Nottingham is a collaboration between the two Nottingham universities, bringing together the strengths and civic missions to help drive prosperity and opportunity across the local area. Launched last year, the initiative will focus on delivering economic prosperity, driving environmental sustainability and promoting health, wellbeing and culture.

Research carried out by the universities showed that every 22 seconds, someone living in Nottingham is trained by, attends a programme run by, visits a facility hosted by, is supported by a student or staff member from, works with a student placed by, or works in a business supported by one of our two universities.

Nottinghamshire Day will also be used to promote the local economy, with messages being shared throughout the day encouraging people to shop local and support local businesses.