Kev :
Making the assumption you're in the UK, give Customs and Excise a ring, get the VAT registration form, register as a sole trader, then claim VAT back on a quarterly basis.
You can claim 6 months back from date of registration - this is a date you specify on the form - and for small numbers of invoices a simple spreadsheet will suffice - I have one which calculates the figures to put on the VAT return.
Is it worth the effort ? Yup. I claimed back almost £1700 (almost $2500) for my first quarter which included all the VAT paid on my CPL modular course. This quarter is less exciting - but the VAT refund is going straight into my Jetbox conversion fund !