BICESTER really is looking its best at the moment.

The flowers are out, the planters on Sheep Street, maintained with the help of the Bicester Lions, look blooming beautiful and Bicester Town Council continue to do a great job taking care of the parks and green spaces we all enjoy.

It was particularly pleasing to read about how well the volunteers at Bicester Community Garden are getting on.

They acquired some land last year which used to be the old St Edburg’s school playing fields and have transformed it into a floral delight. They worked particularly hard to get it in the best possible shape for the regional judging of the Cherwell in Bloom competition and all that hard work will be seen once again during the Britain in Bloom national judging this week.

At least the good weather has given Elmsbrook residents the chance to try out their new outdoor gym.

Funded by developers A2Dominion after Elmsbrook Community Association were asked what they wanted out of their Great Places to Live fund, it’s the third gym of its kind in Bicester.

The new health hub is hooked up to the same digital app as the equipment at Garth Park and Spider Park, so residents can track their progress on all of them.

It’s also got the same clever technology that lets you charge your phone whilst keeping fit.

Another string in the bow for the Healthy Bicester initiative – helping residents to keep active in an inexpensive and easy way.

It’s because of the popularity of things like the outdoor gyms and 5k health routes that we’ve decided to roll out a similar programme to the Healthy Bicester initiative in Kidlington.

Healthy Place Shaping is very much on the agenda across Oxfordshire and it’s thanks to the pilot scheme in Bicester that Cherwell District Council now have the proper experience to offer a bespoke version for Kidlington residents.

But don’t worry, we are continuing to commit funding to further the programme in Bicester too.

Healthy Bicester’s not just about the physical things you see around you: there’s plenty going on behind the scenes aimed at improving the wellbeing of residents.

Social prescribing is a new tool being promoted by the healthy place shaping team and Citizens Advice Oxfordshire, aimed at supporting people using GP services in Bicester.

After a referral from their doctor, the scheme puts patients in contact with specific community groups who can help them.

It takes the pressure off our local NHS services and has provided many people with a genuine alternative to medication.

What’s really pleasing is, with the help from followers of the Healthy Bicester Facebook site, more groups have come forward to offer their support for the network.

That’s the true spirit of Bicester.