LEARNING all about the benefits of pedal power is Liz McNeil, organiser of York's first learning festival.

Liz was taking part in one of the final events of the festival - a sponsored bike ride held in St Sampson's Square, York.

Volunteers took a turn on the exercise bikes to cycle the equivalent of 300km, raising £500 for the Canon Collins Educational Trust, which helps pay for teacher training courses in South Africa.

The festival was organised by Learning City York, a partnership of organisations from across the city. Its next big event will be a ball to be held at Bishopthorpe Palace on September 15, which will again raise money for the trust, plus another South African charity, the Science and Industrial Leadership Initiative.

Liz said the first festival seemed to have gone down well with people who took part.

"I've spoken to a quite a few people who ran events and everybody is feeling very positive about it," she said.