VWBN – where did it all start?
The Vale Women’s Business Network, or VWBN as it has become known, was launched in January 2001 amid unprecedented local, Regional, National, European and, indeed, global interest in promoting greater levels of entrepreneurship as a means of economic regeneration and development.
Here in Wales, the groundbreaking “Entrepreneurship Action Plan for Wales” policy document, published by the WDA in 2000, set out clear priorities to encourage an entrepreneurial culture and to increase the number of businesses started, sustained and grown. This and other key publications, such as the “Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2000 Wales Executive Report” and the “Objective 3 Operational Programme for East Wales 2000-2006”, highlighted that women are generally under-represented in entrepreneurship and prioritised the encouragement of more women entrepreneurs as a key target in Wales.
At the same time, local businesswomen Christine Atkinson and Marilia Angove had just completed some work for the University of Glamorgan on the support needs of women entrepreneurs in Industrial South Wales. In doing so they were able to confirm that their own experiences were mirrored by those of many other businesswomen who testified to the huge personal and business benefits they had gained from being involved in women’s business networks. These included everything from confidence building, gaining contacts to taking part in informal mentoring arrangements and sharing information, advice and potential pitfalls on business issues, such as marketing, hiring and firing, finding business premises and ‘growth pains’. However, they also established that there was no such organisation in the Vale of Glamorgan, where Christine’s own home and business are based.
As a result of the climate at the time and Christine and Marilia’s own research, they were able to put together a proposal which resulted in funding from the European Community European Social Fund, ELWa and the Vale of Glamorgan Council to research, develop and pilot a women’s business network in the Vale of Glamorgan.
By the end of the first year of the VWBN almost 200 women were on the mailing list and at the first Christmas Gala Dinner Jane Hutt AM agreed to become the Network Patron. She commented “Innovation, flexibility, commitment and determination are the hallmarks of successful business women. I am delighted to support the new Network for Vale Business Women which will play a vital role in expanding the local Vale enterprise economy”.
Christine Atkinson, Director, Praxis Training and Consultancy Limited
January 2004