SOSCA Newsletter WINTER 2015 ICAEW

ICAEW
SOSCA
Newsletter
WINTER 2015
BUSINESS WITH CONFIDENCE
icaew.com/sosca
CONTENTS
Welcome
2
ICAEW regional news
3
Welcome
Younger members and students 4
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME
SOSCA’s golden years
6
Local news and events
8
This being the 50th year of SOSCA, I’m delighted to have been entrusted
with the responsibility of presiding over what is a very exciting period. While
we have some great plans for the future, it’s also important that, at this
milestone in our history, we take the time to recognise our successes in our
primary purpose of supporting our members and the people who have been
key in making those successes possible.
SOSCA 2016 events
10
Personal development
11
CONTACT US
SOSCA
PO Box 9035, Bournemouth,
BH11 0GB
icaew.com/sosca
REGIONAL EXECUTIVE
Rachel Monk
T +44 (0)1483 901 823
E [email protected]
PRESIDENT
Adam Mason
E [email protected]
DEPUTY-PRESIDENT
Richard Cartwright
E [email protected]
TREASURER
Margaret Jones
E [email protected]
COUNCIL MEMBERS
Ian Davies
E [email protected]
Richard Cartwright
E [email protected]
CPD
SESCA Enterprises Ltd
2B Chart House Effingham Road
Reigate RH2 7JN UK
T +44 (0)1737 223 999
E [email protected]
sesca.co.uk
I’m delighted to confirm that this year the SOSCA dinner will be hosted at the Hilton at Hampshire’s
Ageas Cricket Ground. As a member of Hampshire Cricket, I can speak first hand of the impressive
architecture this has added to a key landmark in our region but also, having recently attended the
Solent Business Ball there, I look forward to a memorable evening and one that brings the profession
from both practice and industry together. I’m keen to ensure that the annual dinner is clearly defined
as the event where we celebrate the profession, recognising the achievements of our new members
but also giving us all the opportunity to meet with our colleagues, with many of whom we share
long-standing relationships through both our education and working careers. I’m also thrilled that we
have been able to secure Sir Clive Woodward OBE as our after dinner speaker for the evening.
We also shouldn’t lose sight of the considerable sums we generate for local charity as we look to
give back to the community. At the Solent Business Ball, which SOSCA supports through YCAG,
over £1,200 was raised for local charity Hamble Lifeboats, to enable them to fund investment in
thermal imaging which will save lives. A tremendous achievement. The annual dinner gives us
another opportunity to raise money for our nominated charity, Blue Cross of Hedge End. The annual
dinner will take place on 18 March, so please put it in your diaries and I hope you are able to join the
celebrations.
The annual dinner is just one event that the committee works on through the year. Later in this
newsletter we refer to the ICAEW BusinessFutures national event in Coventry, to which we were
extremely proud to send a group of selected guests from the district. The ICAEW BusinessFutures
initiative is one of many things SOSCA continues to support. We want to encourage our future
leaders to be engaged and show that SOSCA and ICAEW are at the forefront of their future. We
have a number of other events already in the diary which I hope many of you will join us for. In the
meantime if you want to get involved with the committee or have any suggestions, I would love to
hear from you.
Adam Mason
SOSCA President
MEET YOUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBER
In May of last year, I had the pleasure of being confirmed as your new ICAEW
Council member for the southern region for the next four years.
Expecting a cliché, I was surprised at my first Council meeting to see how
representative the Council is (acknowledging there is room for improvement).
I was also impressed how deeply the Council cares about the institution,
qualification and the profession.
This year’s Council Conference sought to update ICAEW’s strategy. It was a
privilege to be included in the debate and discussion designed to prepare
ICAEW for the next 25 years, a refreshingly long timescale.
The world has changed in an enormous way in the past 25 years. A two-day conference is unlikely
to be a good predictor of what the future holds. However, reflecting upon the scale of change in
the past quarter century, provides us with a clear instruction to prepare ICAEW to be nimble, to
remain relevant and resilient and to continue providing leadership in an increasingly volatile world.
I will keep you and SOSCA updated and informed with developments in the strategy-setting
process.
In July, I enjoyed visiting members from a range of companies in the region. The visits gave me the
opportunity to hear perspectives on the region’s business environment, current working conditions
for members and to receive (at times) some very frank feedback on your feelings about ICAEW.
I will lobby ICAEW to ensure that it seeks to be relevant to members both in the capital and in the
regions. If you would like to hear more about me and my story I will shortly be featured in Economia.
As I want to understand and serve the region better, I am interested in visiting members in local
businesses and practices. If you would like to arrange a meeting, please do get in touch.
Richard Cartwright
SOSCA Deputy-President and new council member
2
SOSCA NEWSLETTER
ICAEW regional news
COLLEGE STUDENTS TURN INTO MEDIA EXPERTS
School teams from across the nation travelled to
Birmingham on 25 June to take part in our 2015 national
Business, Accounting and Skills Education competition
(BASE) final.
46 teams, more than 270 students and 70 members
were involved in what has been a landmark year for
the competition, with over 10,000 students having
participated in BASE since it began in 2009.
The challenge for this year’s final was based on an
independent TV and film production company called
Vivami Ltd. Teams had to demonstrate problem solving
and communication skills as well as show their financial
capabilities. They then had to present to a high profile
panel of judges that included senior representatives,
who are ICAEW members, from Sky, ITV, BBC, Cinescope
Entertainment, Walt Disney, PwC, EY, Crowe Clark
Whitehill, First Intuition, Brain Juice, Training Counts,
Deloitte, Nyman Libson Paul, DHU Assoicates, Thapers
and several senior staff from ICAEW.
BASE runners up – Bristol Grammar School
We had great success in the South West with Bristol
Grammar School coming second and Plymouth
College winning the highly commended prize. Huge
congratulations went to the 2015 National Champions,
Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys.
Sarah Williams, Director at Walt Disney who was a judge
at the final said:
‘It’s so important that young people start thinking about
their skills and their readiness for the workplace well
before they begin applying for jobs. Businesses need to be
receptive too and competitions like these are great ways
to get schools, employers and young people working
together to improve skills. Good communication and
team working are vital for the workplace and this firsthand experience and network opportunity is invaluable.’
ICAEW President, Andrew Ratcliffe, said:
‘Businesses are crying out for the right skills and this
competition helps young people build them. It is essential
that future generations build their soft skills to complement
Highly Commended Prize – Plymouth College
their academic achievements, and are informed about
career choices. Employers are looking for ‘well rounded’ people who can communicate, solve problems and demonstrate resilience, commercial
awareness and team working. All these skills, as well as exams, will attract recruiters.’
The Southern district local heat was on 24 November. Keep an eye out in the next SOSCA newsletter for a full write up. For more information
please visit icaew.com/base
IT’S OUR FUTURE – WHAT DO YOU WANT?
It is estimated that half the FTSE 250 in 2025 will be made up of firms that were not
even born in 2014. So what will the business world look like in 25 years’ time? We can’t
predict the future but we can look at the most likely scenarios. ICAEW is developing its
BusinessFutures project to consider the issues which will affect the future of business
and we want your input.
In October SOSCA took a small group of younger members to the Ricoh Arena in
Coventry for the annual BusinessFutures conference. The event, hosted by Konnie Huq and featuring keynote speaker Brian Cox, drew over
300 members from across the country to appraise and debate key issues that will
challenge our economies and humanity in the coming decades. Delegates had the
opportunity to hear the perspective and advice of leading industry figures and speakers
before discussing and voting upon which topics they believed to be the greatest
challenge we face in the next 25 years.
For more information on BusinessFutures
and a video from the conference please visit
icaew.com/businessfutures
SOSCA NEWSLETTER
ICAEW’s BusinessFutures programme continues into 2016 with a view to bringing
professionals outside of accountancy into the discussion and to engage members by
holding a variety of events across the country.
3
Younger members and students
THIS IS NOT A CIRCUS!
Businessmen and women from across the Solent donned their best attire on 24 July when they attended the Solent Business Ball.
The ‘Cirque du Soleil’ themed black tie event at the new Hilton Hotel at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton, saw over 230 representatives from
over 70 different businesses come together.
The ball was organised by Southern Society’s Young Chartered Accountants Group (YCAG), the Junior Lawyers Division South Hampshire
(JLD) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS Matrics) and helped raise money for the great cause of Hamble Life Boat Ltd.
Several local businesses provided a range of fantastic prizes for the charity raffle which raised over £1,200.
The evening, sponsored by Event Partners, Grant Thornton UK LLP and Irwin Mitchell LLP and Event Supporters, SPF Private Clients and
College Chambers, included a drinks reception, a three-course meal with wine, music and entertainment.
Adam Mason, Senior Manager at Grant Thornton UK LLP and President of the Southern Society of Chartered Accountants, said: ‘We were
extremely pleased to see so many representatives from the Solent’s business community enjoying a great evening of networking. The ball
is now in its fourth year and attracts a diverse guest list that ensures networks are not limited to a profession but extended across the
region. It’s a great opportunity for businesses to entertain valued clients and staff and generate potential new business and contacts.’
You can register your interest in YCAG by emailing Rachel Monk or looking us up on any of our social media outlets.
– YCAG
– southernycag
@ycag_south
ICAN
The ICAN network is a group of active ICAEW Chartered Accountants and ACA students who help the student recruitment team to
promote the ACA qualification and careers in accountancy.
The student recruitment team uses interactive activities to help dispel myths that surround the profession and to encourage students from
schools, colleges and universities to consider the options that are available to them.
ICAN members can provide students with the real-life experiences they are interested in hearing more about, along with promoting their
chosen career path.
If you would like to support the student recruitment team, visit icaew.com/ican to find out more.
4
SOSCA NEWSLETTER
INTO THE WOODS FOR LOCAL STUDENTS
Since the last newsletter we have run our annual ball with the theme of ‘Into the Woods’ where over 147 guests attended from local firms
and raised over £900 for the Hampshire & IoW Air Ambulance.
In June we also ran a successful AGM/quiz night with 33 people coming bowling to welcome the new committee! The committee for the
next year will be led by Matt Stephens (chair), James Watson-Lee (vice-chair), Emily Burnett (treasurer) and Katia Knechtel (events). In
addition to this core team, a number of reps from various firms actively market our events and attend meetings to organise upcoming events
and discuss any current student issues. If you want be a part of the student committee, or know someone from your firm who would benefit
from joining, please contact me via email – [email protected]
We host a wide range of events, from stress management seminars and networking events, to our annual mixed five-a-side football
tournament and our flagship events, the Annual Ball and Casino Night. We have a large mix of people attending these events from different
stages of their training contracts and a wide selection of firms, both large and small.
For more information on who we are and our events, please visit our website at scass.info or you can keep up to date with live information
through our social media routes.
Thanks,
Matt Stephens
SCASS Chair
– SCASS
– scasspage
T: 0238 202 5070
E: [email protected]
www.butlerrose.com
Experience Counts
Specialists in the recruitment of accountancy and finance
professionals.
We work solely with part-qualified and qualified candidates and recruit
exclusively for an impressive list of blue chip clients in the South Coast area.
So whether you are looking to recruit, or looking for your next career move, make
sure you speak to Butler Rose.
Contact our Southampton Office on:
0238 202 5070 or email [email protected].
London • Bristol • Birmingham • Milton Keynes • Southampton
SOSCA NEWSLETTER
5
SOSCA’s golden years
2015 marks the 50th year since SOSCA was formed. We want to
celebrate our volunteers who have helped achieve great things,
both in the Southern region and further afield.
We spoke to all of our past presidents and current office-holders
to ask their views on some of the great things SOSCA has
achieved and where they see us heading in the next 50 years.
Longest past president, Sir Michael
Lickiss, who went on to become
ICAEW president, with current
President Adam Mason
SOSCA Annual Dinner 2010, then SOSCA president
Ian Davies with guests including the Mayor of
Southampton. Ian is now on the ICAEW board and
is Chair of the Remuneration Committee.
Past Presidents’ Dinner 2015, 50th celebration: including 20 of
the SOSCA past presidents, some younger members, ICAEW staff
and current office-holders SOSCA Deputy-President,
Richard Cartwright and SOSCA President, Adam Mason.
YCAG quiz – Bo Zhang, then YCAG chair,
talking at the 2014 YCAG annual charity quiz
with WAVE 105FM. The quiz has been running
for over five years!
District society presidents from 1979–80
Including then SOSCA President SOSCA president John Gay.
SOSCA Annual Dinner 2015, then SOSCA president Jane Michel
with then ICAEW President Arthur Bailey, exam prize winners
from 2014-2015, speaker Steph McGovern and sponsors CMA
Recruitment Group and Kaplan.
District society presidents in 1980, including then SOSCA President John Gay
at ICAEW centenary celebration.
BASE southern heat finalists 2010 – Clive Rusden, then
president, at the first Southern BASE heat in Bournemouth
Why did you put yourself forward as a
district society office-holder?
I was looking to develop a better business
network and give something back.
Lee Blunden, 2006/07
To make a difference! Mike Dawe, 1998/99
As a lecturer at Kaplan I wanted to get back
involved with practising accountants, I
wanted to give something back to charity
and the community and I also wanted to
have some fun (which included the bonus
of embarrassing a few past and present
students!) Robert Zeffertt, 2013/14
What was your greatest achievement as
president for SOSCA?
To get the dinner back in Portsmouth after
many years’ absence. Bill Arnold, 1994/95
I attracted the first ever funding for the Annual
Dinner – £300 for the menu cards from Dorset
Business and held the first charity auction at
the dinner, raising £1,500 for CABA who were
desperate for funds in those days.
Bryan Tizzard, 1995/96
Set a new standard for the Annual Dinner. My
Annual Dinner made a profit, raised £7k for
charity, had the FA cup there and great after
dinner entertainment with a big roulette table
and large Scalextric! Colin Pett, 2000/01
1
FACT
Presidents and committee
members come from
far and wide in the
southern patch. We cover
Hampshire, Dorset, the
Isle of Wight and the
district of Salisbury.
FACT
SOSCA now has over
5,000 members, 39% of
them are in industry and
26% are in practice.1
FACT
What would you like the society to do
more of?
Involve younger members, promote ICAEW
and attend more outreach visits to members.
Colin Pett, 2000/01
What do you think the society does well?
Provides a great meeting point for
accountants in practice across the region and
a flourishing, well-regarded business group.
Colin Pett, 2000/01
To see SOSCA continue their engagement
with local colleges and universities. Richard
Cartwright, 2016/17
Celebrates local newly qualified members by
recognising their achievements locally
through either the Annual Dinner or in the
past the new members’ evening. Adam
Mason, 2015/16
Help mentor future leaders. Robert Conway,
1996/97
What do you feel has been SOSCA’s greatest
achievement in 50 years?
Provided good thought leadership and
contribution to the development of its
members and ICAEW. Lee Blunden, 2006/07
Its training programme with SESCA Enterprises
and the YCAG and student activities. In times
gone by its members in business group was
probably the most active in the country.
Having such a large geographical area
incorporating countryside and city centres
has its own challenges, which SOSCA has
addressed. Making common territory out of
Southampton, and Dorchester! Mike Dawe,
1998/99
What do you think the greatest challenges
will be for SOSCA in the next 50 years?
To remain accessible locally in an increasingly
specialist world. Bill Arnold, 1994/95
Gathering enough ICAEW members to take
an active interest in current affairs, who
go further than seeing the qualification
as a route to an income and who wish to
participate in keeping ICAEW relevant.
Bryan Tizzard, 1995/96
Retain relevance by developing greater
dialogue through evolving social media,
leading engagement within its members and
how they operate in the region’s broader
community. Lee Blunden, 2006/07
Continue to be relevent to members when
firms are providing training etc and members
lives are increasingly busy. Nick Parker, 1993/94
Over the past 5 years
SOSCA has raised over
£10,000 for local charities
around the southern
district.2
these figures are based on data from December 2015
calculation based on an average of £2K raised per year,
some years raised more and others raised less.
ICAEW office-holders
FACT
SOSCA has its own
younger members group
called YCAG. Members
from YCAG have gone
on to sit on the SOSCA
Committee.
FACT
Since 2009 over 10,000
students have taken
part in ICAEW’s BASE
(Business, Accounting,
Skills and Education)
competition.
FACT
SOSCA has hosted
through SESCA
Enterprises over 300
CPD courses since
2005 attracting around
40,000 attendees! 3
SOSCA has had many successes
in it’s 50 years but one of our
greatest achievements is getting
local members to become
president of ICAEW. SOSCA has
been lucky enough to have had
Mike Lickiss, Chris Laine and
current ICAEW Vice-President
Nick Parker in the line-up. To
celebrate such a success in our
50th year we ask Nick Parker
some questions.
Why did you want to run to be an ICAEW officeholder? Primarily because I enjoy meeting members.
However, tax is prominent at the moment with
government and the public and I want to help with the
debate (using my experience as a Tax Partner at RSM
UK) to ensure that our profession is fairly represented
and that any changes are fair to all parties.
What are your aims for your years as an ICAEW
office-holder? To meet members, to progress the tax
debate, to ensure that the refurbishment of Chartered
Accountants’ Hall is undertaken within time and within
budget and to ensure that ICAEW remains relevant to its
members.
What do you think ICAEW’s main challenges will
be for the future (or next 50 years)? To adapt to
the changes that technology will bring and to remain
relevant to the needs of business.
2
6
3
SOSCA NEWSLETTER
based on figures provided through SESCA Enterprises
SOSCA NEWSLETTER
7
Local news and events
NEWS FROM THE DORCHESTER GROUP
We were also delighted that our local MP and cabinet minister, RT
Hon Oliver Letwin MP, was able to speak again at our rescheduled
Annual Business Lunch in October at Kingston Maurward College,
Dorchester. After a brief speech on how he saw the current
economic prospects, he then covered a wide range of local and
national topics in a Q&A session. Everyone really appreciated the
time he spent addressing our group and as a result we will be
booking Oliver as speaker for our next Annual Lunch in June 2016.
2015 has seen record numbers attending the CPD lectures run by
the Dorchester Group at Athelhampton House, Puddletown, just
east of Dorchester. Over 1,200 delegates have enjoyed 21 lectures
this year, covering various subjects including FRS102, the two
Budgets, auto-enrolment, and tax planning for trusts, companies and wealthy individuals. This is an increase of 20 in delegate numbers over
2014, despite there being two less lectures this year.
We are now looking forward to our programme for 2016 with lectures being held fortnightly on Wednesday afternoons, starting on 17
February. Future topics include small company accounting and reporting, micro-entity accounts, share valuations and the ever popular tax
updates. Speakers are mainly provided by the Mercia Training Group, and you can view course outlines on their website (sign in using ‘sosca’
as both the user name and password). However, you need to book places via Edwards & Keeping in Dorchester; these cost £48 per lecture.
We email full course details to members on our database at least two months before lecture dates; please email the group secretary, Jackie
Paulley, on [email protected], if you wish to book a lecture or be added to our database.
HOW TO BE A CONFIDENT SOLE PRACTITIONER
30 years ago, starting your own accountancy practice was a scary thing to do. To begin with, we weren’t permitted to advertise so all new
clients came through personal contacts and recommendations or you bought a block of clients. There was no internet and consequently no
websites, emails, search engines, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. All reference material had to be found in books or magazines or borrowed
from ICAEW’s library. The local member groups were much stronger then because it was the only way to keep in touch with other colleagues
and make ourselves aware of changes in legislation. Do you remember when data protection started? Just one of the things which could be
so easily missed by a busy sole practitioner, quite apart from the ever-challenging UK tax changes.
The Portsmouth Sole Practitioner Group was founded 28 years ago by Pamela Fontana and Sally Walker and has been meeting nine times a year
ever since. The group has evolved over the years and email communication has enabled us to obtain advice and ideas from fellow colleagues
on a more immediate basis, which is very necessary in these days of multiple deadlines and potential penalties. The next big challenge is autoenrolment. There is plenty of professional help available at a price, but since we have the benefit of pooling our knowledge we are able jointly to
overcome most obstacles at minimum cost, as we have already done with iXBRL, RTI, online filing and the many other challenges.
We meet one Thursday a month (excluding January, July and August) from 16:00 to 18:00 in Waterlooville. We normally have around 6 to 8
attendees, although we have a total membership of about 20. It takes a little bit of effort to start a group because you first need to identify
practitioners with similar needs, but once up and running it just needs someone to organise a venue, send out a group email and put the
kettle on. It would be very easy to let the group lapse but, for the amount of effort involved, it has helped me to grow my practice with
confidence and I’m sure my fellow members also appreciate the comfort of having people to turn to for help and advice. If you are running a
small practice, I strongly recommend getting together with a few colleagues and starting an informal support group.
For more information on our discussion groups please visit icaew.com/sosca
Sally Walker
Sally Grant Limited, Waterlooville
JPG TAKES OVER POOLE HARBOUR
The 2015 spring event took place in May at the Poole
Harbour Commissioners (PHC’s) offices alongside Poole
Harbour and port.
Some 30 attendees from various professions including
ICAEW, Hampshire Law Society, CISI, STEP and others were
treated to a bus tour of the outside facilities of the harbour
and port followed by a very interesting and entertaining
presentation from Jim Stewart, Chief Executive. The
talk covered the workings of the second-largest natural
harbour in the world, PHC’s role in this and their plans for
future developments to further enhance the facilities and
shipping movements, all within the extensive restrictions of
an internationally important area for nature conservation.
Being one of the few Trust Ports in the country, PHC does
not receive any funding from government but instead relies
8
SOSCA NEWSLETTER
on its own income generation from, for example, the ferry companies, harbour-side property rentals, marina and harbour dues from pleasure
craft etc. A future pier extension to allow more cruise liner traffic has to be funded with conventional bank lending based on a commercial
business plan. All surpluses made by the trust are ploughed back into the harbour and port operations for the benefit of the stakeholders of
the trust. The stakeholders are everyone using the harbour and port, its employees and all those individuals, organisations and groups with an
interest in the operation of Poole Harbour, which presumably includes the JPG!
Richard Lacey, Chairman and Brian Ford, one of the 12 Commissioners, were also in attendance and helped with the subsequent guided
tour of the operations room, which is similar to an air traffic control tower but instead continuously monitors the shipping and pleasure craft
movements within the harbour. As well as extensive CCTV, visual and radio monitoring, a state-of-the-art 3D imaging system enables the
Harbour Master to have a comprehensive view, from any angle, including below the water line, of all major shipping.
The highly successful evening ended with buffet refreshments and networking.
UPDATE FROM YOUR LOCAL REP ON THE ICAEW PRACTICE COMMITTEE (IPC)
The ICAEW Practice Committee (IPC) provides a representative voice for practice within ICAEW. In June it held a
committee meeting jointly with the district society practice representatives to seek their input on issues affecting
practice members.
At the meeting we heard from Michael Izza who spoke about issues such as the ACA qualification variants,
development of international membership and ICAEW’s role as a regulator for reserved legal services. There was
a discussion about public awareness of the benefits of using a chartered accountant (over a non-qualified), it
was noted that this was always on ICAEW’s agenda and ideas for ways of raising the brand were welcome.
We also heard from the Tax Faculty on its efforts to work with HMRC to address the ongoing issue of poor
service levels, which has included meetings with David Gauke MP. The Technical Strategy team discussed
some of the consultation responses they are currently working on, in particular the IESBA consultation on
non-compliance reporting, as some members had concerns over the effect this could potentially have on
practice members’ positions as ‘trusted advisers’. There was an update on the development of the Member
App which is now available on Android.
With increasing numbers of members helping their clients with the implementation of auto-enrolment pensions, we discussed the potential
risks and opportunities this brings. IPC has formed a working group to look how we can support members in areas such as scheme selection,
PII requirements and engagement letters.
One of the main ways in which the IPC communicates with members is via its fortnightly e-newsletter, Practicewire. This is available to all
ICAEW members and provides updates on new resources and issues of interest to practice members; if you don’t already subscribe, you can
do so by selecting Practicewire on your preference settings, icaew.com/preferences. IPC is always keen to hear the views of practice members
so be sure to let me know about the issues which are important to you.
Adrian Simpson
OUTREACH VISITS
One of the highlights of being an office-holder within SOSCA, is the opportunity to go out into the region as part of our regular outreach
visits and meet with members working in both business and practice. While we are fortunate to have a diverse committee with a range of
experiences, these visits enable us to hear from a greater number of members. A visit from ICAEW and SOSCA is informal in nature and there
is no other agenda than to learn about our members businesses, their aspirations and of what more we as a district society can do on behalf
of our members.
In August myself and Rachel Monk, our ICAEW Regional Executive, visited a number of members in and around Fareham, starting with
Robin Gow of Hampshire Autism, based in the Solent Business Park. Having started in practice, before spending time in industry and then
moving to the voluntary sector with Hampshire Autism (autismhampshire.org.uk), Robin was able to give a fascinating insight into his
experiences, highlighting the various paths a career with an ACA qualification can take.
We then visited Compass Accountants (compassaccountants.co.uk) a firm
in Fareham which has enjoyed significant growth in recent years. Stuart and
Kerry Lawrence were kind enough to give us background to the business and
some of its aspirations for the future. Our final visit of the day was a trip to
see Mark Nolan, a director at Alliott Wingham (alliottwingham.com), another
fast-growing local practice. During the visit we were fortunate to meet with
one of the team who had recently qualified as an ACA.
These visits not only gave us the opportunity to hear the ambitious plans
of our members but also to share with them and receive feedback on some
of the key developments for ICAEW. Also, with SOSCA in its 50th year, we
were especially keen to hear what more we can do to further strengthen our
connections across the district. A key challenge is ensuring that our activities
are widely known and this is something we as a committee are keen to act
upon; the outreach visits are one step in the right direction. In the meantime,
want to take part in an outreach visit, please make contact with Rachel Monk
([email protected]) who can provide further details.
SOSCA NEWSLETTER
9
SOSCA events calendar 2016
DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL EVENTS
VENUE
DATE
YCAG/SCASS
Wine tasting
Pitcher & Piano, Southampton
29 January
ICAEW
Business Member Breakfast
Sandbanks Hotel, Bournemouth
12 February
YCAG
Careers evening
Dolphin Hotel, Southampton
3 March
SOSCA
SOSCA Annual Dinner 2016
Hilton, Southampton
18 March
SCASS
Annual Ball
Southampton TBC
9 April
ICAEW
Access to finance
Bournemouth and Southampton TBC
4 and 5 May
SCASS
Annual 5-a-side football tournament University of Southampton
15 May
JPG
Spring event
TBC
17 May
SOSCA
AGM and quiz night
Novotel, Southampton TBC
1 June
Dorchester Town Group
Annual Business Lunch
Kingston Maurwood College, Dorchester
24 June
If you don’t currently receive the monthly e-newsletter, STOPPRESS, giving up-to-date details of news and events and would
like to do so, then please log on to our preference centre where you can choose what information you receive from ICAEW. Visit
icaew.com/en/members/membership-information. Please ensure you have selected the correct preferences to suit your requirements.
We are still finalising our 2016 programme and are looking to host some of the events below. To keep up to date with our events please visit
our website icaew.com/sosca or join our LinkedIn Group by searching for ‘Southern Society of Chartered Accountants’.
DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL EVENTS
VENUE
DATE
ICAEW
Manufacturing SIG roundtable
TBC
February
SOSCA
Career clinic
TBC
April/May
ICAEW/SOSCA
Women in business
TBC
May/June
SOSCA/CABA
Retired members
TBC
April/May
SOSCA VICE-PRESIDENT VACANCY
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
The Southern Society of Chartered Accountants is looking for a new
vice-president!
Notice is hereby given of the 51st SOSCA AGM, taking
place on Wednesday 1 June 2016. Please keep an eye
on our website for more details.
The vice-president supports other office-holders to provide leadership and
direction to the wider SOSCA committee.
It’s an excellent opportunity to network with your peers, get to know
ICAEW more closely and support your local community.
Committee meetings followed by a networking dinner are held quarterly,
but otherwise your time contribution can be flexible to suit your needs.
If you would like to know more please contact Rachel Monk.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
SOSCA
Wednesday 24 February, 18:00 – Portsmouth
Wednesday 1 June, 17:00 – Southampton
YCAG
Second Monday of every other month starting from February, at the
Cowherds, Southampton from 18:00.
SCASS
First Wednesday of every month at the Cargo, Southampton from 19:00.
10
SOSCA NEWSLETTER
Personal development
CPD
Our CPD courses are run by SESCA Enterprises Ltd, sesca.co.uk. SESCA offers a variety of courses at various locations across the Southern
district. You can also use your ticket in the neighbouring districts, South Eastern and Thames Valley. They offer a flexi-ticket which is one of
the best value-for-money CPD discount schemes. The new programmes for SESCA Enterprises and the Dorchester Town Group are now on
the SOSCA website icaew.com/sosca
Discount scheme
We now offer reduced ticket prices for members who qualify for one of ICAEW’s reduced annual membership rates (due to current unemployment,
low income or a career break).
For further information about any of the above please contact our Treasurer Margaret Jones at [email protected]
TOP TIPS FOR A WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Being passionate about what you do can make it challenging to achieve balance in your professional and personal life. But taking steps to
improve your work-life balance could dramatically improve your physical and emotional wellbeing as well as your efficiency and productivity
at work. Here are our top tips.
1 Prioritise. List your tasks all in one place, rank them in order of importance and be realistic about the time required to complete them.
Defining what success means to you will help you to identify your priorities.
2 Time management. When you have your tasks organised by priority, schedule your time and stick to it as best you can. Protect your
time and treat personal activities as you would do a business activity.
3 Be present. Practise the art of doing one thing at a time and be fully present in that task, person or moment of relaxation.
4 Set clear boundaries. This could be as simple as finishing at 17:30, turning your emails off at the weekend or learning to say ‘no’ to
protect your time and energy.
5 Take breaks. Taking regular breaks and making time to eat healthily, rehydrate, get some fresh air and take part in some physical activity
will improve your focus and productivity.
6 Protect your support network. Your support network is the cornerstone of your balance and wellbeing so don’t neglect it. It provides a
listening ear, another point of view, encouragement and support. Your support network also forms a key part of your quality time away
from work, giving you an opportunity to relax, refresh and refocus.
For more information about how CABA can help you to maintain your work-life balance visit cabacareers.org.uk call us on
+44 (0)1788 556 366 or chat to us online at caba.org.uk/letstalk
CAN YOU VOLUNTEER AT SOLENT CREDIT UNION?
Credit unions are not-for-profit organisations which are owned and run by their members. They offer
safe savings accounts (protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme) and members may
borrow at affordable interest rates. In the UK there are over 350 credit unions serving a total of well over
a million members. They are regulated under similar terms to banks and building societies. Each credit
union will serve members who have something in common. This ‘common bond’ may be that they live
in a particular area or that they are members of a specific profession.
Locally, Solent Credit Union’s common bond includes those who live or work within the ‘SO’
postcode area. The main office is in Southampton, but it is looking for volunteers, particularly from
an accountancy background, to support a number of exciting projects across south Hampshire to
alleviate financial hardship. This includes community-based banking initiatives aimed at financial
inclusion and educational programmes aimed at primary school children. If you think you might be
able to help please visit the credit union website (solentcreditunion.co.uk) or email Rob Drummond on
[email protected] to find out more.
SOSCA NEWSLETTER
11
Annual Dinner
50 years!
ICAEW
18 March 2016, 18:30–01:00
Hilton at The Ageas Bowl, Southampton
The SOSCA Annual Dinner sponsored by CMA Recruitment Group
is celebrating its 50th year and we want you to join us!
WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND
GUEST SPEAKER
This dinner will:
• celebrate our profession;
• congratulate our newest members on their recent achievements;
• provide an excellent opportunity for you to entertain valued clients and/or
staff, generate new business contacts and to network; and
• last but no means least, be able to give something back to our designated
charity, Blue Cross.
Clive Woodward famously
guided England to victory
in the 2003 Rugby World
Cup and three Six Nations
tournaments, including an
elusive Grand Slam. He has
since served as Director of
Sport at the British Olympic
Association, working in
partnership with UK Sport.
You will have the opportunity to:
• hear first-hand from Sir Clive Woodward OBE and have a chance to
ask him your questions;
• hear from ICAEW President, Andrew Ratcliffe; and
• network with a variety of professionals from across the industry and have a
chance to meet various business professionals from across the region.
You will also be able to enjoy:
• a live band;
• casino tables; and
• a photo booth.
Sponsored by:
TICKETS
This year in recognition of our 50th year we are
offering a one-time only deal of £50 per ticket.
For this you will enjoy a welcome drink, threecourse dinner including wine and entertainment.
BOOKING
President’s Charity of Choice
Please book online through icaew.com/sosca and
search for the date under South West events.
DRESS CODE
Black Tie.
© ICAEW 2016. MSDPLN14194 01/16