Read what our clients say about us:

• Kenneth Parsons, Chief Executive, Rural Shops Alliance
• Nicholas Ford, Chief Executive, The Ernest Cook Trust
• Claire Edwards, Senior Manager Strategy and Delivery, Gloucestershire First
• Ian Nash, former Editor, Times Educational Supplement
• Mark Gale, Chief Executive, Gloucestershire Gateway Trust
• Bob Watters, Board Director, Gloucestershire Market Towns Forum
• Julia Ingram, former Aimhigher Development Officer
• Camilla Hale, Organisational Development Team Leader, Gloucestershire Association for Voluntary and Community Action

Kenneth Parsons, Chief Executive, Rural Shops Alliance www.ruralshops.org.uk

 "The Rural Shops Alliance has used Beth Whittaker of Viva Communications for about 2 years as a freelance contributor to our house journal, Rural Retailer. The articles have been case studies on particular rural shops. Our format has required meeting a specific brief quite precisely and getting a lot of information across in a relatively low word count, in a text that is nevertheless easy to read.

  "Beth has consistently followed our briefs very well and has always built a rapport with the proprietors of the shops very quickly, getting the best out of them. This is not necessarily easy when this has to be done over the phone. Her work has been to a high standard and has required minimal editing before publication. She is punctilious in getting the interviewees' sign-off before publication.

  "Her writing style combines communicating factual information with the personality and voice of the people she has interviewed, with the right balance of direct quotations and comment.

 "Beth has always met our deadlines and achieved our brief in terms of word count. She has carried out enhancements to her pieces where our brief has been insufficiently clear willingly and without complaint. On occasion, she has also helped us in ways that have extended beyond her brief, for example, by finding a local photographer to provide pictures to support the article.

 "Beth is always helpful and a pleasure to work with. Based on our experience, we would recommend her work unreservedly."

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Nicholas Ford, Chief Executive, The Ernest Cook Trust www.ernestcooktrust.org.uk

"Viva Communications have been responsible for all aspects of public relations for The Ernest Cook Trust since November 2008. Public Relations was then a completely new area of activity for the Trust; Viva Communications were appointed after a careful selection process, including a presentation from short-listed candidates.

  "I have been entirely happy with every aspect of Viva Communications since their appointment. The Whittakers operate on their own but have a wide range of excellent specialists in a number of relevant fields (design, photography, and printing for instance) whom they call on as necessary. A benefit to the client is that one is always dealing with the principal in the firm: conversely, there has never been any difficulty as a result of the small size of the firm.

  "Viva Communications are thoroughly professional in everything they do, prompt and understanding in their dealings with the client, innovative and experienced. The Whittakers also have their feet on the ground; they do not have any of the unrealistic jargon-filled airs and approaches that are all too commonly found in the PR profession. Between them, Martin and Beth Whittaker have all the necessary skills; Martin's strike-rate at converting press releases into articles appearing in the Press is impressive.

  "It is of course of great benefit that not only does Viva Communications have all the qualities referred to, but their services cost less than many of their competitors, and are excellent value for money; they pay keen attention to, and stick to, budgets."

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Claire Edwards, Senior Manager Strategy and Delivery, Gloucestershire First, (the county's economic partnership) www.glosfirst.org.uk

"Beth Whittaker of Viva Communications Ltd has worked alongside the Gloucestershire First team for many years in a communications consultancy capacity.

  "In that time, she has demonstrated real empathy for the complexity of cross sector partnership working and a genuine understanding of public policy implementation in the fields of economic development, adult education and regeneration.

  "Always highly professional and extremely personable, Beth's greatest strengths include her ability to work with the vaguest of briefs and help shape them to deliver a timely and effective quality product.

  "Beth remains steadfast in her project planning and client relations, but flexible in the design and implementation of communication based solutions, invariably 'going the extra mile' and offering tangible value for money. I would have have absolutely no hesitancy in recommending her."

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Ian Nash, former Editor, Times Educational Supplement

"Martin has proved one of the most reliable, accurate and creative journalists I have ever dealt with. This is no mean achievement since I draw on a wide range of the best national freelances in the business.

  "Martin is a consummate professional who always meets deadlines and seldom has to ask for a further briefing following a commission. He is as at home with the challenges of a news story or short feature as he is with lengthy reports and books. I would not hesitate in recommending him for any research and writing task."

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Mark Gale, Chief Executive, Gloucestershire Gateway Trust www.westmorland.com/m5-services

"I have worked with Viva many times over the past 10 years because they provide excellent PR and communications support for voluntary and community organisations. Whether the project is big or small, Viva will help you make sure communities engage and decision makers listen. A friendly, flexible and effective service that delivers results."

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Bob Watters, Board Director, Gloucestershire Market Towns Forum www.glosmtf.org.uk

"Beth is highly skilled in her profession and able to assimilate complex issues and from them develop concise and meaningful communication messages to wide audiences with different levels of understanding. Her understanding about the media industry and contact with others within the profession has enabled value to be added to both our internal and external communications streams."

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Julia Ingram, former Aimhigher Development Officer, Gloucestershire College:

"Aimhigher is a government-funded organisation set up to raise the achievement levels of under-represented groups in higher education. Over the past three years I have contracted an area of Aimhigher West work to Viva Communications. This has involved the research, writing, proof-reading and media PR for a website entitled ‘Focus on Careers' www.focusoncareers.org.uk . Its target audience is young people in schools, colleges, Connexions Services and parents or carers.

  "This is a substantial and long-running piece of work involving clear communication, a very high level of professional skill, flexibility, attention to detail and planning with other partners.

  "I initially worked with Beth, who has all of the above mentioned qualities and more, in abundance. Imagine my delight when I was introduced to Martin and realised there were two of them!

  "I cannot recommend Viva Communications highly enough. They have never let me down and have supported my journey through this unknown area of work with a light, sure and friendly touch."

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Camilla Hale, Organisational Development Team Leader, Gloucestershire Association for Voluntary and Community Action www.gavca.org.uk

"For our training programme Beth runs sessions on best practice in PR and Marketing and web writing. Her half and one day sessions are clear, well presented, full of excellent and relevant information, and relevant to the voluntary sector that GAVCA supports across Gloucestershire.

  "What is always to be relied on in Beth's work is the detail of research that informs her content. Participants in her sessions know that they are in the presence of an expert tutor who will support them and enable them to achieve better results. New training programmes are always welcomed from Beth.

   "In a different capacity I commissioned Beth to meet three key trustees from the sector in the County and then to interview them in front of 100 other trustees. The intention was to elicit the real issues of being a trustee and how to overcome obstacles and how to celebrate the work. Beth's initial research was again done with real thoroughness, attention to detail and courtesy. Her public interviewing steered voluble people through the main points of the interview with warmth, humour and confidence – always moving on the discussion and taking the interview to fascinating conclusions without anyone really realising the skill that she was using.

  "I am keen to find further opportunities to work with Beth and cannot recommend her highly enough."

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