A Tees Valley marketing firm has entered the Best New Business in Tees Valley Awards.

Billingham-based Talk Marketing provides a diverse range of marketing, public relations and education services and has entered the best service award category.

The competition is sponsored by Canada Life and Marketing Assessments.

The awards programme has been designed to recognise and reward those businesses in the Tees Valley which will be the future creators of wealth and employment.

Talk Marketing, which has two full-time employees, provides a range of educational services to students at schools in East Middlesbrough.

"We deliver training to 14 to 16-year-olds in Middlesbrough which focuses on helping them to improve their communication skills," said the marketing firm's owner Judith Healey.

The training gives the students work-related skills that will boost their career opportunities.

Judith comes from an advertising and marketing background. She established the firm in March, 1999 after deciding to go it alone.

lTo enter the awards, businesses must be less than three-years-old, and be in the Teesside or Darlington postcode area. The closing date is September 4. Contact Colin Brown on (01642) 862 177.