Busy Times

I know its a cliché but doesn’t time fly, I can’t believe were are now in to June 2014 and almost a year since our last blog.

Much has changed at Vale Training in the last year. Melanie left us last may after 16 years, Emma left in September after completing here years’ work experience and Jess Smith joined us in October last year.

Jess is our first full time member of office staff and has already proved a reliable and valued member of the team. We would be very lost with out her.

Having both Jess and I in the office on a full time basis has allowed us t to develop the training we offer and over the past few month s we have added some new courses and customers to our lists.

In 2014-15 we will offer the BASIS soil and water course for the first time and are looking at delivering a farm secretarial course later this year. We also plan to widen the suit of assessments available.

The farming side of our business is going well too, despite the usual weather challenges, market fluctuations, and black grass. Phil Streak has has now been helping Tim on that side of the venture for over eighteen months, and again is proving to be both invaluable and a breath of fresh air with his dry sense of humour. Our cattle last week passed their second TB test this year, and the sheep are just doing what sheep do. Hay making is going well with the aid of a few local helpers.

I hope to make my blogging a little more frequent in the future and have up to date course photos listed regularly. A little job for Jess may be.

Watch this space

Kate

SUNSHINE AT LAST

A very busy week with lots of training taking place, and we have just had the results of our recent FACTS course. We were fortunate to have five successful delegates out of seven taking the exam. Well done all and we know the unsuccessful delegates will be successful next time around.

The farm is at last buzzing with tractor activity as the silage crew move in, and the sheep are all look very smart without there winter coats. I bet they were pleased to have been shorn not the sun is out.

We will be at Waddesdon Farm's Open Farm Sunday event this weekend, so do come and see us for some refreshments. I will be backing on Saturday,  so fresh cake will be available

Back Again

Twitter in the Farmyard Event

Its a long time since I last blogged. Sorry!!

We have had an amazingly busy 6 months with hardly time to breath, but having attended the Twitter in the Farm Yard Event yesterday run by BIAC felt inspired, and have even created a new free standing Face Book page for Vale Training Services. We will use this and Twitter,  @katevtg , to keep clients posted as to whats happening,  as well as our regular e mails.  It was great to meet members of the agricultural community who had so much information to pass on, and a passion for networking via social media. It is my intention to offer a similar small scale event to our clients during the coming winter, as I feel farmers particularly,  are missing out on a very useful information sharing platform

As you will see from the photo opposite we have introduced some floral art workshops to our list of courses this year, and very popular they have proved to be. We have all been inspired to create interesting and different compositions

If you have any Ideas for new courses let me know, as we like to keep our up with your needs

By the way Pip is still number one office dog, but finds it hard to fit in much work, as she is very busy keeping an eye on what is happening out on the farm. We have however been joined by Dora the black lab on a more frequent basis. The two of them did have have an adventure a few weeks ago, and this resulted in a large bill at the dog wardens to get them returned home !!

Blogger at Last

At last I have managed to enter my blog site. For some reason Yahoo decided to change my address and I have been unable to gain access to the blog for 10 months. I cant believe how much has happened.

I will compose a full blog tomorrow with all the Vale training news. Until then please meet our new member of the office team 

This is Pip my new desk top

She is my son Ed's 6 month old Parsons Jack Russell, but she spends her days answering the phone and running courses

Happy New Year

A very Happy New Year to all our friends and customers.

This will be my 25th year of running Vale Training, and how things have changed. During my first year of delivering course, we ran 12 sessions for a client base of 15. Last year we ran over 350 training days, training around 1000 people and have a client base of around 1500 businesses. I thank you all for your help and support over the years.

The snow just before Christmas meant we had to cancel some course, these will be reschedule during the next few weeks. So watch the website for updates. We now also have a face book page, this will enable us to update information quickly. to access this facility simply add Vale Training to your face book friends list.

During 2011 we will be delivering some new courses, these include BASIS Amenity Horticulture, woodland management workshops, beef butchery - cutting and professional tree inspection. All the regular course will be on offer this year too

We hope you will find our new course and features useful. Let us know what you think.

All good wishes for 2011

Kate Mason

Spring at last

At Last Spring has arrived. This winter seems to have stayed with us longer than usual, although the time has flown by. Its so nice to be able to sit with the office door open and listen to the birds twitter in the original sense. Despite the current recession, Vale Training seems to be as busy as ever. We have delivered nearly 330 course days to around 900 delegates in the past year, June to May, and the courses delivered have been varied and interesting. We have delivered training in subjects as diverse as lambing to food hygiene, sausage making to advanced agronomy and chemical application. So a big thank you to all our customers for your continued support. We are constantly trying to improve the serves we offer so if you have any ideas do please let us know.

The farm has been busy too. There have been lots of new arrivals, over 500 lambs, 6 cows, 12 calves and 3 chickens, as well a new member of staff. Tim, who had worked here with us for over 12 years, decided it was time to return to Scotland with his partner Catriona. I am not sure who was more upset at his leaving him or us, but we wish them both lots of luck in their new life. Ian joined the team at the beginning of May, and seems to be settling in well to life at Marsh Hill Farm.

Grant aid on course continues to be the bane of my life, with over three weeks every month taken up with processing of claims and documents. I suppose it is a necessary evil, but wonder how many of our clients would miss grant if we decided not to continue with RDPE funding after 2011. Comments would be warmly welcomed

Things to look out for in the coming weeks: the new mix 96 adverts which goes to air this week, our new stand at the Waddesdon Country show on 5th June, and some new courses on offer over the summer. Watch this space

So to the end of another blog, I relay must try to do them more often, so that we keep you all up to date with life at the Training Centre, our highs and lows. Have a good Spring.

Kate Mason

PS the sheep is called Tibbles, and the calf Miranda

Fund helps land skills training

Below are details made available by Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for landbased industries and SEEDA. The information is available from the BBC web site

Farmers, foresters and growers in South East England will be able to help pay for training courses during the winter from a £500,000 rural development fund.
The training programme, managed by LandSkills South East (Lantra), offers up to 70% funding for businesses.
Since it began in September 2008, more than 3,800 people have taken 8,000 courses as part of the £2.1m project.
"In times of recession, it's not every day you can announce there is money available," said boss Shelley Newton.
Technical training available includes agronomy, IT, first aid, marketing and working with other nationalities.
The winter programme also includes courses on rural tourism and sourcing local produce.
Lantra manages the scheme for the South East England Development Agency, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and East and West Sussex.

For full details of courses on offer in Buckinghamshire and information on level of funding available go to the Vale Training main web site, or from our office on 01296 612201