HOVIP - Heads of the Valley Innovation Programme

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Testimonials

"Excellent. Would highly recommend. Go for it! It's hard to think of ideas when at work. This workshop gives you a chance to step back and think clearly. Great advice. Really enjoyed."

Sarah Draper, Director, Royvon Dog Training Schools.

News Archive 2007

1. 19 November 2007: HoV Innovation Award winner, Purple Prose, launches 2008 Leading Ladies Calendar.

   Download Press Release

2. 16 November 2007: Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Steering Group approve HOVIP2.

3. 8 November 2007: Eleventh HOVIP Innovation Workshop delivered at the Springboard Innovation Centre, Cwmbran.

4. 4 October 2007: Tenth HOVIP Innovation Workshop delivered at the Springboard Innovation Centre, Cwmbran.

5. 25 September 2007: Nineth HOVIP Innovation Workshop delivered at St. Margaret's Park, Aberbargoed

6. 28 June 2007: Winners of the first-ever Heads of the Valleys Innovation Awards!

   More than 120 people attended the first ever Heads of the Valleys Innovation Awards and Marketplace at the Parkway Hotel, Cwmbran. The winners were:

   • Most Innovative Social Enterprise (sponsored by NESTA): Garnsychan Partnership
   • Most Innovative Sole Trader (sponsored by HSBC): Purple Prose
   • Most Innovative Business with less than 20 employees (sponsored by KTS Owens Thomas): Royvon Dog Training Schools and International Technical Diving Agency Ltd.
   • Most Innovative Business with more than 20 employees (sponsored by BT): Penn Pharmaceutical Services Ltd.

   Emma Jones of My Little Angel, one of the Innovation Awards finalists commented: "These Awards help to promote businesses in the area to ensure that we continue to attract recognition and support. My Little Angel, a new business, will certainly be entering next year as there is nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain."

7. 6 June 2007: Excellent response to the first-ever Heads of the Valleys Innovation Awards.

   "We are thrilled to have received so many entries for this inaugural Innovation Awards." said Phil Burkhard, HOVIP Programme Manager. "It is an excellent example of how much innovative activity is happening in the Heads of the Valleys area."

8. 6 June 2007: Eighth HOVIP Innovation Workshop delivered at the Integrated Children's Centre, Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil College.

9. 15 May 2007: Seventh HOVIP Innovation Workshop delivered at the Valleys Information, Technology and Communication Centre in Tredegar

10. 8 May 2007: Business Eye Merthyr Account Managers Meeting breaks new ground thanks to HOVIP!

    In response to a request from the HOVIP team, the regular Merthyr Account Managers meeting, chaired by Business Eye, welcomed the first local business to present to the forum.

    Sarah Draper, Director of RoyvonDog Training Schools (a HOVIP SME) took up this opportunity to support Royvon's aim to raise their local profile even thought they have a UK-wide customer base.

    The aim of this 'business slot' is for local businesses to present an overview of their services and plans and highlight what support they are looking for from the assembled business support providers.

    Whilst Sarah found that it also provided a personal development opportunity, the Account Managers were sufficiently impressed with her presentation that they have agreed to continue to trial this new and innovative approach to helping their customer base.

11. 27 April 2007: Heads of the Valleys Innovation Awards launch

    The search is on for the most innovative businesses in the Heads of the Valleys area. Businesses throughout the region are invited to enter the first ever Heads of the Valleys Innovation Awards which were launched in Merthyr Tydfil today. The Awards celebrate and reward the most innovative businesses in the area. Entry is open to all businesses, including social enterprises, trading in the Heads of the Valleys area.

    For full details and an entry form please visit www.merthyr.ac.uk/hovip and click on Innovation Awards

    Closing date for entries is Wednesday 6^th June 2007.

12. 26 April 2007: Sixth HOVIP workshop delivered at the University of Glamorgan Business Centre.

13. 24 April 2007: Royvon continues to expand

    HOVIP participant Merthyr-based Royvon Dog Training Schools have invested over £800,000 in purchasing and refurbishing dog kennels in Esher, Surrey. The new Surrey premises opened late last year and has helped to confirm the company's position as the UK's leading residential dog training business. Because of the expansion of the business in Surrey, the Merthyr headquarters now has the capacity to offer a wider range of services. "Although we have grown in the last few years we continue to look for new opportunities," explains Royvon Director, Sarah Draper. "We have won a prestigious National Technology for Marketing (TFM) award which recognised innovations in the company, and two Royvon trainers have been selected to take part in the BBC's The Underdog Show."

14. 19 April 2007: 25 years and local engineering firm is still going strong

    After a quarter of a century, Merthyr-based engineering firm Design and Manufacture Ltd is still youthful and ready to take on new challenges. Managing Director Phil Corke, who co-founded the company in 1982 is optimistic that his dedicated workforce have a role to play in a market which at first glance appears to be dominated by overseas providers. "In such a competitive market, it is essential that we stay ahead of the game," says Mr Corke. "Participating in the HOVIP programme has helped us to focus on what's important and find new ways of addressing our challenges. We pay particular attention to our customer's needs and offer a service that can't be achieved by overseas suppliers."

15. 29 March 2007: Heads of the Valleys Innovation Awards launch announced

    The launch of the inaugural Heads of the Valleys Innovation Awards will take place on 27 April at 12:30 until 13:30 int eh Main Hall at Merthyr Tydfil College. The launch event will include an overview of HOVIP and progress to-date, as well as details about the Innovation Awards for businesses (including Social Enterprises). Please contact Wendy Locke on 01685 726061 or hovip@merthyr.ac.uk for more information.

16. 27 March 2007: Fifth HOVIP Innovation Workshop delivered at the Integrated Children's Centre in Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil

17. 8 March 2007: Fourth HOVIP Innovation Workshop delivered at University of Glamorgan Business Centre

18. 27 Feb 2007: Third HOVIP Innovation Workshop delivered at the Integrated Children's Centre in Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil

19. 22 March 2007: BT confirms HOVIP sponsorship

    BT has confirmed that it will sponsor the Heads of the Valleys Innovation Awards 2007. BT will sponsor the category for businesses with more than 20 employees. BT's Ceri Fitzpatrick said, "BT is delighted to act as sponsor to the Heads of the Valleys Innovation Programme. We believe Innovation is strategically important to all organisations that seek to develop their people, services or products and can be the key to unlocking the potential within any business, regardless of size. Innovation is one of the cornerstones to BT's approach to the market and we believe a flourishing and vibrant economy is one where typically innovation has been encouraged and nurtured. We welcome Merthyr College's proactive approach in this field through HOVIP and we are proud to be a sponsor."

20. 21 March 2007: HSBC Bank plc confirms HOVIP sponsorship

    HSBC Bank plc has confirmed that it will sponsor the Heads of the Valleys Innovation Awards 2007. HSBC will sponsor the category for Sole Traders and ahs confirmed a prize package of £500 plus an innovative package of support for the winning company.

21. 14 March 2007: Royvon Dog Training Schools to present at Business Eye meeting

    Royvon Dog Training Schools in Merthyr, one of the companies participating in the HOVIP Innovation Workshops is to present to the Merthyr Business Eye Account Managers Group. Royvon will be the first company to attend this meeting where they will explain what the business does, the support they have received and how it has contributed to their results, as well as outline their plans for the future and highlight the additional support they require to help achieve their aims. As Royvon Director Sarah Draper explains, "The opportunity to present to this group of people is in itself a step on our road to success. Royvon has a reasonably high profile throughout the UK, but is relatively unknown here in south Wales. One of our business challenges, and a key reason for participating in HOVIP, was to find ways to raise our profile locally. This is a great opportunity to do that and we are looking forward to meeting the Merthyr Business Eye Account Managers."

22. 14 March 2007: HOVIP contributes towards Green credentials

    Williams Medical Supplies in Rhymney have made good use of the creative thinking techniques learned at the HOVIP Innovation Workshop. The techniques were shared with staff who had not attended the Innovation Workshop and resulted in the creation of an internal environmental awareness campaign. The "Go Green with Jennine" campaign has contributed towards the company's achievement of the Green Dragon Environmental Award Level 2.

23. 12 March 2007: NESTA confirms HOVIP sponsorship

    NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts has confirmed that it will sponsor the Social Enterprise category in the Heads of the Valleys Innovation Awards 2007. NESTA is devoted exclusively to supporting talent, innovation and creativity in the UK. NESTA are providing a prize package of £1000 plus substantial marketing and promotional support for the winning organisation.

24. 5 March 2007: Innovation Workshop participant runs to success

    Sarah Draper, a Director of Royvon Dog Training Schools in Merthyr and one of the participants in the Innovation Workshops is running in the London Marathon on 22 April 2007. Sarah is raising money for the NSPCC. To find out more visit Sarah's charity weblink at www.justgiving.com/svdraper

25. 9 Feb 2007: 10th SME signs up to HOVIP Innovation Workshop programme

    Richard Evans of Jensen Blinds and Interiors in Caerphilly is the tenth company to sign-up for the HOVIP Innovation Workshops. With more than 18 years experience, Mr Evans started the business in February 2006. Offering curtains, blinds and interiors for the home or office, Jensen Blinds is building a reputation of providing high quality, distinctive designs at a competitive price. Currently employing just 2 people, Mr Evans says that his key challenges are winning new business and gaining a competitive edge based on more than just price. He is keen to grow the business and believes the HOVIP programme will help him achieve his aims.

26. 30 Jan 2007: KTS Owens Thomas confirmed HOVIP sponsorship

    Craig Blackmore, Sales and Marketing Director for KTS Owens Thomas, confirmed their support of HOVIP with sponsorship of the Innovation Marketplace event on 28 June 2007 at the Parkway Hotel in Cwmbran. The company will also be sponsoring the Heads of the Valleys Innovation Award's category for businesses with less than 20 employees. Mr Blackmore said the company was delighted to support HOVIP, "As an accountancy practice, we are keen to innovate ourselves and go well beyond the usual services to help our clients grow their business. This is an excellent opportunity to show our support for other innovative businesses in the Heads of the Valleys area."

27. 11 Jan 2007: Second Steering Group meeting held at ViTCC, Tredegar Business Park

    Chris Ashman from Heads of the Valleys Programme joins Steering Group