Worcestershire residents are being encouraged to rediscover the beauty of cycling by liberating the bike from the shed or garage to rediscover the many benefits of travelling on two wheels. Cycling is a fantastic way to improve health and fitness without having to fork out on gym membership fees. It is a great way of enjoying the great outdoors.

To celebrate this, Worcestershire County Council are inviting members of the public to send pictures of their cycling experiences in Bike Week (16th to 24th June).

Residents taking the best photos will be rewarded with shopping vouchers to a local bike shop of their choice to the value of £50, whilst the pictures will be used for publicity in Worcestershire showing the variety of landscapes that can be seen around the county by bike. There are categories for photos taken by both children (u16) and adults and entrants should describe the location of the photo (anywhere in Worcestershire) and the contact details of the entrant.

Closing date for entrants is 30th June 2012. to choose@worcestershire.gov.uk Anyone looking to brush up their skills in the saddle can now take advantage of specialist Bikeability courses for adults. As the saying goes 'you never forget' but the training on offer can help boost confidence to get back into cycling. WCC offer highly regarded training which ranges from Level 1, which focuses on basic control, right through to Level 3, which gives advice on the most complex of urban road layouts. For more information or to book a course simply contact bikeability@worcestershire.gov.uk Many organisations run their own Cycle to Work schemes, which allow its staff to make savings of up to 40 per cent when purchasing a new bike through tax-free benefits. To find out more visit www.cyclescheme.co.uk for more details.

For those interested in hearing about recent developments and plans for the improvement of cycling can attend a County Cycle Forum on Monday 18th June 2012 between 2pm and 4pm at the Great Malvern Room, County Hall, Worcester where presentations will be given and networking opportunities exist.

A host of information and links on how to get cycling, including free downloadable cycling route maps, are available at www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cycling Rules for "Out and about in Bike Week" photo competition • Competition to win £50 shopping voucher for local bike shop • Two age group categories 'under16' and '16+'

• "Out and about in Bike Week" Rules a. 1 digital photograph per entry b. 1 entry per person (email address) c. Entry by email only d. Must be taken in Worcestershire e. Photo must include a bike in the shot • Closing date for entrants 30th June 2012 • No return of pictures • To choose@worcestershire.gov.uk including name and address and daytime contact phone number