Haines Watts - The Essential Business Briefing

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

Local Office Awarded National Industry Award for South West

Photograph - L-R:

Brewin Dolphin Plymouth Team:

Tracy Smith- Divisional Director / Chris Janes- Divisional Director

Brian James Head of Office/ Ruth Smith – Divisional Director and 

Mike Gerrard Business Development Manager SW)

Brewin Dolphin’s Plymouth office has been awarded the 2013 Citywire Wealth Manager Regional Star award for the South West.  The regional Stars Awards 2013 were presented at the inaugural Citywire Wealth Manager Conference and Awards in London, the discretionary wealth management community’s largest-everceremony of this type.

The awards acknowledge discretionary Investment Managers who have delivered an exemplary service for their clients. Firms were nominated and the awards selected by IFAs and advisers based on their views of the wealth managers in their own region. In the awards they have expressed their view on the level of service they have received, as well as the investment outcomes that were achieved. The advisers ranked individual wealth management offices on four criteria; investment outcome, client reporting, relationship management and efficiency of service.

Brewin Dolphin Plymouth has a very experienced team of investment managers, managing portfolios for a wide range of private clients, charities, businesses, IFAs and other professional introducers.

Brian James, Head of Office, Brewin Dolphin Plymouth says:  “We are delighted to have been publicly recognised within the South West. The team in Plymouth has developed a deep understanding of the local community of both professional and private clients. The appetite to outsource investment management continues to grow and Financial Advisers who are looking to partner with a DFM, like the fact we do not offer in house funds and that each portfolio is bespoke and is managed locally. Trust and mutual respect are the foundation stones of all our relationships. The investment prowess and determination to look to our clients’ best interests in Plymouth is mirrored throughout the Brewin Dolphin Group and this accomplishment is due to hard work and team efforts.”

www.brewin.co.uk/plymouth

Exam success for Brewin Dolphin Plymouth

The Plymouth office of Brewin Dolphin, one of the UK’s largest independently-owned private client wealth managers, has expanded significantly in the last 18 months bringing in three new trainee investment managers; Rory Kilbride, James Holt and Thomas Pearson. All three are looking to develop their careers in Plymouth and are keen to enhance the development of the Plymouth office. 

Recently Rory Kilbride passed his second of three Masters in Wealth Management papers while James Holt and Thomas Pearson passed the Private Client Advice paper to move onto the second paper. The masters in Wealth Management qualification is the top qualification offered by the CISI and will lead all three to becoming Chartered Wealth Managers in time. 

Brian James, Head of the Plymouth office, was delighted with the results adding “it is important for the future development of this office that we have young, well qualified staff, I am delighted with their successes. At Brewin Dolphin we have a comprehensive training programme and support all of our staff to attain their full industry qualifications.  We are always looking for talented individuals with the highest academic qualifications to join us.”

The Group provides a complete investment management and financial planning service for private investors, charities and pension funds. Stocktrade is the Group's Execution-Only telephone and on-line dealing division.

www.brewin.co.uk/

Investment Management Company is First to Host Corporate Event at New Plymouth Restaurant

L – R: The Lord Mayor Michael Wright 

Brian James, Head of Office Brewin Dolphin Plymouth

Councillor Mrs Mary Aspinal

William Wills

Local wealth management company, Brewin Dolphin Plymouth based in Langage Business Park, was the first in the City to host a corporate client event at the newly opened Rhodes @ The Dome Restaurant on the Hoe.  The Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Michael Wright joined 200 guests to celebrate the company’s 250th anniversary.  

Clients, dignitaries and associates were welcomed with wine and canapés prepared by celebrity chef and restaurateur Gary Rhodes and his dedicated team of professionals.  Brian James Head of Office Brewin Dolphin Plymouth gave a welcome address looking back at Brewin Dolphin’s long history as one of the founding firms of The London Stock Exchange and their original links to an old Devonian company, Westlake & Co. which was established 150 years’ ago in George Street Chambers by Francis Hole Westlake.

Brian James Divisional Director – Brewin Dolphin Plymouth says: “To be in business for 250 years is a feat that very few firms accomplish.  Our success is built on time-honoured values – relationships built on trust and confidence, bespoke service and the desire to accommodate each client’s priorities and aspirations.  Staying true to these traditions gives us a strong platform for continued growth.  As a result we wanted to celebrate this extraordinary milestone at a special venue and we were delighted when Rhodes @ The Dome were able to accommodate us.  The food was delicious and Gary Rhodes and his team were both professional and friendly.  The feedback from our guests on the new restaurant was extremely positive and very complimentary.”

Captain Charles Howeson RNR, Chairman of the Plymouth Area Business Council (PABC) spoke on behalf of the whole business community and private sector stressing the historic significance of the occasion and the values and local roots represented by Brewin Dolphin as a major stakeholder in the City of Plymouth.

He commented that "Brewin Dolphin represent all that's best in a huge financial concern that has kept closely aligned to the service values associated with its founding fathers and local roots, namely a very personal specialist service to its customers combining great care and attention in all that they do around the complex world of the provision of financial services advice."  He continued by saying that: "The whole Plymouth Business Community were proud and grateful to have Brewin Dolphin still here with offices in the City, 250 years after being founded, and 150 years after its Westlake offices were first opened".  He concluded by saying that "This represented a symbolic and historic record for which Plymouth is undoubtedly deeply honoured.”

www.brewin.co.uk/plymouth