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Haines Watts has been shortlisted for the ‘Auditor of the Year 2013’

Haines Watts has been shortlisted for the ‘Auditor of the Year 2013’ in the SME’s category at the national FD’s Excellence Awards which they won in 2012.

The FD’s Excellence Awards is the most prestigious programme recognising the UK’s top Financial Directors and their service providers.  Created by the Real Business the awards are held in association with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and supported by the CBI.  The announcement will be made on 9^th May at the prestigious awards ceremony held at London Marriott in Grosvenor Square.

Donation from Chartered Accountants Help Train Adoptive Families

Michael Caines, Patron FFC / Ally Colton – FFC
Caroline Quentin and Ben de Cruz – Haines Watts Chartered Accountants

A donation from Haines Watts Chartered Accountants Exeter to their Charity of the Year, Families for Children Adoption Agency (FFC) has enabled the worthy cause to run two preparation courses for potential adopters.  Haines Watts, based in Southernhay raised over £2,000 for FFC through various activities and networking events over the 12 month period.  This included an event to launch FFC as their new Charity of the Year held at Exeter Audi with sponsored Exeter Chiefs player Craig Mitchell during National Adoption Week.

Ally Colton, Fundraising & Publicity Coordinator ─ Families for Children Adoption says “We are hugely grateful to Haines Watts’ staff members for this donation which has enabled us to run two preparation courses for potential adopters to begin the process of completing their forever family.”

The training courses prepare prospective adopters for the challenges they face in parenting an adoptive child, with speakers including birth parents, adult adoptees and those who have adopted through Families for Children, who work across Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.  “A total of 35 potential adopters attended these two courses and following completion both the prospective adopters and their social worker will write a report which forms part of the Prospective Adopters’ Report - the legal document produced by Families for Children which goes before an Adoption Panel for official approval to adopt,” explains Ally.

*Figures for adoptions in England show, adoption statistics still make sad reading and courses like this will become even more important going forward with the Government’s recently announced proposals for reforms to the adoption system in the Children and Families Bill.

Claire from Devon, who with her husband, Julian, adopted three siblings, says: “The preparation course with Families for Children enabled us to explore the issues around adoption in more depth. The sessions which involved talks by adoptees and experienced adopters were particularly memorable and, at times, very emotional. We really benefited from the opportunity to discuss things with the other applicants  and the social workers. As adopters you need a lot of support; the friendships we made during the course have continued and form a crucial part of our support network now.”

Actress Caroline Quentin and Patron of Families for Children, says: “Haines Watts is giving such valuable support to Families For Children by making them their charity of the year. My association with Families For Children is something I am hugely proud of and I would like to say a big, personal thank you to everyone at Haines Watts.”

www.hwca.com/accountants-exeter

Barristers Host Fundraising Seminar for Spinal Injuries Charity

L – R: Back Row: 

Derek Jenkins, CEO St. John’s Chambers, Glyn Edwards, St. John’s Chambers

Martin Pettingell, Clarke Willmott LLP

Front Row: 

Tony Stephenson, SIA, Emma Zeb, St. John’s Chambers, Peter Hutchings, SIA.

Members of the Personal Injury Team of Bristol-based St. John’s Chambers organised a special drinks reception and seminar on behalf of the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA), sponsored by Clarke Willmott LLP which raised more than £1700 for the charity. 

Over 60 delegates including solicitors, attended the event held at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, to hear key-note speakers and learn more about spinal cord injuries (SCI.  Following a welcome address by chair, Martin Pettingell of Clarke Willmott, Chamber members, Glyn Edwards, Head of Personal Injury Practice Group and P.I. expert Emma Zeb spoke on two areas of interest to those involved in the management of catastrophic injury cases. 

Derek Jenkins, Chief Executive St. John’s Chambers says: “The Spinal Injuries Association is a national charity which supports people who have suffered from a spinal cord injury (SCI); this is for any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease.  Our Special Injury Team is recognised nationally as a leader in personal injury litigation and this successful event helped to not only raise much needed funds but also the profile of this worthy cause −the feedback from attendees has been very positive.”

Peter Hutchings, Outreach Manager, Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) gave a well-received presentation on ‘Community peer support – bridging the gap’.   He says: “SIA is grateful for the support of St. John’s Chambers and the impact of the money raised will help us to further develop our services for spinal cord injured people in the region.” 

www.stjohnschambers.co.uk

‘Going For Gold At Chelsea’ – Top Garden Designer to Deliver Prestigious Lecture

The Garden House at Buckland Monachorum is widely regarded as one of the country’s finest gardens, and is especially renowned for its exciting and innovative garden design and planting.  Therefore, it seems appropriate that the country’s leading contemporary garden designer is to deliver the 2013 Fortescue Garden House Lecture.

Each year the Fortescue Garden Trust, the charity which owns The Garden House, invites an individual recognised as having made a major contribution to horticulture or gardening in Britain, to deliver this prestigious annual lecture.  The Trust is honoured and delighted that Cleve West, who has achieved the rare distinction of winning back-to-back ‘Best in Show Awards’ at the RHS Chelsea Show, has accepted this year’s invitation.

Cleve has won seven gold medals, but winning Gold at Chelsea as well as ‘Best in Show’ for his Daily Telegraph Garden in 2011 and then repeating these accolades  in 2012 with his stunning Brewin Dolphin Garden, has won him the admiration of all.  

The 53-year-old, who spent his 20s as an athlete hoping to compete in the long jump at the Olympics, said that he was thrilled to win at Chelsea in the year the Games came to London.  His 2012 garden, celebrating the 250^th anniversary of Brewin Dolphin, incorporated stone sentinels topped by flamed shaped finials holding up intricate iron gates that led onto an enormous 300-year-old mill head mounted on a wall.  Although Cleve is top of his profession, he claims his favourite gardening is in his London allotment and recently wrote a book on allotments – demonstrating his practical application to gardening as well as his more obvious artistic ability.

The Fortescue Garden House Lecture series is also generously sponsored by the Plymouth Office of Brewin Dolphin, and Cleve’s illustrated talk will focus on his national design work as well as provide an insight into the preparation and completion of his 2012 award-winning Brewin Dolphin Garden.   The lecture takes place at the Plymouth Postgraduate Medical Centre, Derriford at 7.00 pm on Friday 22 March.  Some tickets are still available – to book, please telephone The Garden House: 01822 854769.

www.thegardenhouse.org.uk