TBV March 2012

March 2012 Issue 01www.torfaenbusinessvoice.co.uk

IN THIS ISSUE• MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL• 100th TORFAEN BUSINESS VOICE MEMBER• MEMBER WORKSHOPS• PREPARING FOR PENSIONS REVOLUTION

NEXT EVENT29th MARCH 2012(for details on how to book see back page)

@TorfaenBizlinkd.in/torfaenbiz

2 | TORFAEN BUSINESS VOICE

NEXT EVENT... TIME TO NETWORKThe next Torfaen Business Voice eventwill take place on 29th March 2012 atGreenmeadow Golf Club.

The facilitated networking events have becomesome of the most popular meetings of the yearand always receive positive feedback. Theyprovide new and existing members with anopportunity to get to know each others’businesses through a structured networkingactivity.

Each person will have the chance to formallypresent to a number of other businesses around atable for 90 seconds to promote their company.The aim is to ensure that you reach at least twotables of listeners (approximately 12 businesses).

To help you prepare we have suggested thefollowing format…

• Your Name

• Your Company Name

• What you do – remember to focus only onthe key service(s) or product(s) you provide

• How this/these benefits your clients

Remind your listeners to also pass your details onto other people they may know who would beinterested in what you have to offer! It’s all partof the networking concept!

In addition, please make sure you bring along asupply of business cards and leaflets to hand out.

In order to make the evening a success, weencourage you take advantage of the two freeplaces that you are entitled to as a member. Makesure you bring a colleague, client or even a guestfrom another company.

Extra spaces can also be purchased at £20.00 perhead representing excellent value for money forany company wanting to widen their contact base.

Please book early for this event as we are sure itwill be highly popular.

LAST EVENTAN EVENING OF COMEDY AND NETWORKINGWhilst Christmas seems far behind usnow, our festive event on 1st Decemberwill still remain in many members’minds.

Phil Steele, former rugby player, sports presenterand after dinner speaker was our guest speaker,bringing his own unique blend of story telling andhilarity to the evening.

With stories from the rugby pitch to tales from hisprevious teaching career, Phil entertained membersand their guests for well over an hour. Nearly 100

people from a widerange of businessesattended this event, andall enjoyed the informalnetworking opportunitiesand festive buffet afterthe speaker. A freebusiness card raffle washeld and winnersreceived a festive giftpack.

Centrally located in the renowned heritage townof Blaenavon, in the heart of the Blaenavon WorldHeritage Site, and housed in two beautifullyrestored early 19th century industrial schoolbuildings, the Blaenavon World Heritage Centreoffers a unique venue for holding a range ofbusiness and corporate events. Whether you arelooking for a place to run meetings, trainingcourses or even off-site interviews, or needing alocation to host a conference, product launch oreven a team 'away day', the Centre could be theideal choice.

Offering superbly appointed rooms which allowcomplete flexibility in capacity, set up and usagefor a business event, the Centre also provides animpressive range of 'state of the art' IT facilities.The Centre’s on-site caterers also guarantee acomprehensive and flexible service.

On-site staff are available to support you in theplanning of your event and will be happy todiscuss your requirements in detail and assist withconfirming your catering and IT requirements. On

the day, they can be on hand to help ensure theefficient and smooth running of your event.

To discuss organising a business event at theBlaenavon World Heritage CentreCall: 01495 742333Email: [email protected]

Blaenavon World Heritage Centre,Church Road, Blaenavon, Torfaen. NP4 9AEwww.visitblaenavon.co.uk

LOOKING FOR A VENUE TO HOLD BUSINESS EVENTS?

TORFAEN BUSINESS VOICE | 3

Torfaen County Borough Council’sEconomic Development team havemoved out of County Hall and arenow situated in New Inn.

Whilst email addresses and telephone numbersremain the same, the postal address for the team(Dawson Evans, Gaynor Wakeling, David Stephensand Janet Thomas) is now:

Ty Blaen Torfaen, Panteg Way,New Inn, Pontypool,Torfaen. NP4 OLS

Joanne John /Cheryl Williams and Bob Davieshave joined the Business Marketing team andhave also moved to the above address.

They have also retained their telephone numbersand email addresses.

NEW HOME FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM

MEMBERS RENEWALFOR 2012-2013NOW DUE!We hope youhave enjoyedyour TorfaenBusiness Voicemembership over the past 12 monthsand found it beneficial and worthwhile.

The business club is going from strength to strengthand we are grateful for the help and support of allour members.

We believe that membership of Torfaen BusinessVoice will continue to represent exceptional value formoney during the coming year. You will be entitled to2 free places at the quarterly meetings, which provideexcellent networking opportunities and a chance tomeet and hear some inspiring speakers. In addition,your membership entitles you to a free e-mailed copyof the quarterly newsletter, a free and vetted e-mailinformation service and advance notice of TorfaenCounty Borough Council business events – includingfree business breakfasts and our new member onlyseminar programme (see opposite page). In addition,your company details will be added to the TorfaenBusiness Voice website.

To continue your Torfaen Business Voice membershipfrom April 2012 until the end of March 2013 or to joinTorfaen Business Voice for the first time, please use theenclosed MEMBERSHIP FORM. You’ll be a member ofone of the best and well supported business clubs inSouth Wales (in our opinion!!)

TORFAEN BUSINESSVOICE NEWSLETTERGOING ELECTRONICThis is the final printed edition of thequarterly newsletter.

In future, all newsletters will be e-mailed.Renewing Torfaen Business Voice members willautomatically receive it, and we will be happy toalso distribute it to non members via e-mail. However, please ensure you provide us with yourcontact details so we can add you to our list. Please contact [email protected] andstate your name, company name, postal address,e-mail address and a contact telephone number.


These are exciting times for Torfaen Business Voiceas we have welcomed our 100th member in thelast couple of weeks. We are delighted toannounce that Flamgard-Calidair, based inPontnewynydd, Pontypool, has joined the businessclub. Flamgard-Calidair are manufacturers of aircontrol technology for the global energy andpetrochemical industries.

They also produce a wide range of equipment forthe marine, nuclear, tunnel off-shore and industrialsectors.

Steve Edwards (Managing Director) says“Flamgard-Calidair are very pleased to be joiningTorfaen Business Voice and proud to be the 100thmember of this well established club. I am reallylooking forward to all the benefits that TorfaenBusiness Voice has to offer.”

www.flamgard.co.ukTelephone: 01495 757347

TORFAEN BUSINESS VOICEWELCOMES ITS 100thMEMBER!

MEMBERSHIP NEWS • MEMBERSHIP NEWS M

Torfaen Business events will be held on thefollowing dates during 2012.Please ensure you put these in your diary.

Thursday 29th March (facilitated networking)Thursday 28th June (energy saving workshop)Thursday 27th September (facilitated networking)Thursday 6th December (Christmas event)

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY


NEW FOR 2012MEMBERS WORKSHOPYour Torfaen Business Voice Committee has beenworking hard to identify new services formembers. Throughout the new membership year,we will be running a series of evening workshopsbased on topics that are of interest to SME’s.

These workshops will be limited to 20 people(members only) and will cost £15.00 per person,to include light refreshments. Starting at 6.00pmand finishing at approx 7.30pm, they offer achance to hear expert speakers and enjoy someinformal networking.

26th April 2012Technium SpringboardLlantarnam Park, CwmbranChris Rice - Chwarae Teg“Equality legislation”

12th July 2012Eco-buildingSpringvale Industrial Estate, CwmbranMike Bethune - mbtraining“Safety at work - things you need to know”

25th October 2012Technium SpringboardLlantarnam Park, CwmbranGareth Waters & Chris Taylor - BrandCymru“Building a Brand”

We expect these seminars to fill up very quickly soplease book early to avoid disappointment.

Please email [email protected] toreserve your place.

NEW MEMBERS

S MEMBERSHIP NEWS • MEMBERSHIP NEWS

Cintec International www.cintec.co.uk

Con Forms Europe www.conforms.com

Cumpstone Physiotherapy 01495 360121

DiamondPak Ltd www.diamondpak.co.uk

Dig It Landscapes www.digitlandscapes.co.uk

Financial Planning Solutions www.fpsifa.co.uk

Fitzgerald Plant Services www.fitzgeraldplant.co.uk

Flamgard Engineering www.flamgard.co.uk

Garnsychan Partnership www.garnsychan.com

HSBC www.hsbc.co.uk/business

IJ Caddick & Co 01495 790217

M4 Property Consultants www.m4commercialproperty.co.uk

Oakgrove Communications www.oakgrovecomms.co.uk

Ozum Ltd www.ozum.co.uk

React Health & Safety www.react-pat.co.uk

Scott James Security Design www.scottjamesconsult.co.uk

Seer Green Financial Planning www.seerg.com

Simway Business Solutions www.wcmbusiness.co.uk

Touch of Healing www.touch-of-healing.co.uk


CHILDCARE SUPPORTFOR EMPLOYEESThe Childcare Element of Working Tax Credit (WTC)can help employees pay towards the costs ofregistered or approved childcare*

Currently, employees who work 16 hours or more(and paying for registered or approved childcare)might be entitled to the childcare element ofWorking Tax Credit. However, the Government hasrecently announced that from 2013, employees onlow incomes, working less than 16 hours and alsopaying for registered or approved childcare couldalso make a claim.

As a result, more employees may be able to claimup to 70% of childcare costs through the childcareelement of Working Tax Credit. Exact amounts aredependable on annual income. However, those whoare not eligible for the childcare element could stillbenefit from using a childcare voucher scheme**.

You can help your workforce by encouraging thetake up of Working Tax Credits or introducing achildcare voucher scheme.

Torfaen Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2011found that childcare is a barrier for manyemployees returning to (following Maternity orPaternity Leave) or continuing with employment.Torfaen Family Information Service can help youaddress these issues.

Torfaen Family Information Service is a free servicefor parents and professionals in Torfaen. We canprovide you with free information on childcare,advise staff on the options available to them beforethey return to work, and provide information onthe financial help available towards childcare costs.

Our Outreach Officer, Hannah is available to meetwith you and your employees directly to offer freeand impartial advice based on their individualneeds.

To arrange a free drop in, request informationor speak with an advisor, contact TorfaenFamily Information onFreephone 0800 0196 330Email [email protected] for more information visitwww.torfaenfis.org.uk.

*childcare that is registered with Care and Social Services InspectorateWales (CSSIW) or home based childcare registered under the childcareapproval scheme (also with CSSIW)

** Childcare Vouchers are a Government scheme that is offeredthrough employers and allows working parents to pay their childcarecosts from a pre-tax salary

BUSINESSES NEED TOPREPARE EARLY FORLOOMING PENSIONSREVOLUTIONThe biggest change to the UK pensionssystem in a generation will be rolled outthis year – affecting every singlebusiness in Wales.

Auto-enrolment means everyworking person aged 22 andover and paying tax will HAVEto be signed up by his or heremployer into a workplacepension scheme.It’s a revolution that willprovide the majority of the 13million people in the UK whowould otherwise have retiredwith just the state pension tosurvive on, with a viable andvaluable second source ofincome.

Employees will eventually have to contribute aminimum of four per cent of earnings each month intoa scheme whilst employers will need to contribute aminimum of three per cent of the value of theemployee’s qualifying earnings (including any bonuses,overtime payments etc). Employers will also beresponsible for administering the pension scheme forevery single staff member.

At this stage, the employee will have the right to optout of auto-enrolment. However, this opt-out clause iswidely expected to quickly be withdrawn, making anoccupational pension scheme compulsory for all.Auto-enrolment goes ‘live’ from October 2012 when allbusinesses with over 800 employees will have toprovide a workplace pension scheme to all staff – bylaw. The following year will see companies withworkforces of between 250 and 799 signing up to thenew scheme, with businesses of up to 249 staff joiningsometime in 2014.

Gwent-based leading pensions and financial planningspecialists Seer Green are experts in the field of autoenrolment.

Contact Brian Thomas, Corporate DevelopmentManager, on Newport 01633 816522www.seerg.com

www.lmw.org.ukfind outmore at

Think again.

Think you’re too smallfor leadership and

management training?

www.lmw.org.ukfind outmore at

DID YOU KNOW?Private sector businesses in Wales canaccess up to 70% funding* tosupport leadership and managementdevelopment training under theEnhancing Leadership and ManagementSkills (ELMS) programme.*Funding is part funded by the European Social Fund(ESF) delivered through the Welsh Government

Business?

Boost your leadership andmanagement skills to take

your business to the next level


For 25 years Torfaen Mind has beendedicated to promoting andsupporting people to maintain bettermental health. We are a charitybased in Pontypool but workingacross Torfaen and, more recently,Blaenau Gwent.

For more about us visit our website atwww.torfaenmind.co.uk

Want to make a difference?Volunteer Trustees needed.We are currently looking to strengthen ourExecutive Board and need individuals with Businessexperience and acumen to guide and advise us onour Social Enterprise venture. Developing this sideof Torfaen Mind will enable us to continueproviding our services free of charge to the peoplewho really need them.

If you would like to apply to join our ExecutiveBoard please contact Julie Woolf on 01495 768835or [email protected]

We can help you...Need training? Then call us. Our specialist trainersare dedicated to providing you with the informationand practical advice you need to relieve mentaldistress experienced by colleagues, pupils, friends,family members or associates.

We challenge stigmas, raise awareness and trainpeople to identify and minimise the detrimentaleffects of mental health issues. The training weprovide will help your business manage stress in theworkplace and ultimately reduce the costsassociated with mental health problems at work.

We provide training in:• Stress Busting• Mental Health Awareness• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)• Mental Health First Aid and

Youth Mental Health First Aid

For further information on our Training coursesplease call:Rebecca Griffiths on 01495 768831or Mobile: 07896 885 873Email: [email protected]

Reserve Your Places for our event in March:Next event (networking & buffet): Thursday 29th March 6.30pm prompt at the Greenmeadow Golf Club, Cwmbran

Simply e-mail: [email protected] or telephone: 01633 648 083

Remember if you are a member you are entitled to 2 FREE places at this event.

Non-members are very welcome at a cost of £20.00 per person.Please make cheque payable to: Torfaen County Borough Council

To avoid unnecessary food waste please advise if you are subsequently unable to attend.


CHAIRMAN'S NOTES Although December 2011 seems a long time agonow, our Torfaen Business Voice event with PhilSteele as our speaker proved to be a memorableoccasion. It was an evening filled with humour,excellent networking opportunities and fantasticfood… you couldn’t ask for more. However, it istime to turn our thoughts to work and playthroughout the coming year. The Torfaen BusinessVoice calendar for the coming year is alreadylooking busy and will hopefully deliver on bothcounts.

Our 2012 quarterly events kick off on March 29thwith one of the most popular activities – afacilitated networking evening. See page 2 forfurther details and be sure to book your spaces asquickly as possible.

The Torfaen Business Voice Committee is alwayslooking to develop opportunities for members andto this end we have designed a series of ‘memberonly’ evening workshops. These will focus ontopics of specific interest to SME’s, althoughspaces are limited to 20 people and there will be asmall charge of £15.00 per person, to include lightrefreshments. See page 5 for more details andhow to book. Please book as soon as possible forthese since we believe they will fill up very quickly.

We draw this membership year to a close bywelcoming Flamgard-Calidair as our landmark100th member for this year (See page 4). Thisextraordinary interest in the networking clubcontinues to strengthen its effectiveness as a toolfor business people from in and around Torfaen. The new Torfaen Business Voice membership yearwill start on 1st April 2012 and therefore you will

need to renew your membership soon. A renewalform is enclosed with this newsletter, so pleasereturn this with your payment. If you prefer, youcan also bring your form and payment along tothe facilitated networking event on March 29th. Ifyou are not a member and would like to join thenplease also use the enclosed form to join TorfaenBusiness Voice. We look forward to receiving yourmembership.

Finally, this will be the last printed version of theTorfaen Business Voice newsletter. In future, wewill only be producing and distributing anelectronic version. Renewing members willautomatically receive it as part of theirmembership, and non members will be able toreceive it providing they let us know. So if you arenot a member and would like to receive anelectronic version of the newsletter in future,please email [email protected]

I look forward to meeting you all again soon andwish you all every success in 2012.

RegardsDennis Ricketts Chairman TBV

All information contained in this newsletter is based on copy supplied by contributors and is believed by the publisher to be accurate at the time of going to press.

Printed by Marshall & Hicks - 01495 750143 - www.marshallandhicks.co.uk

Documents

TBV March 2012