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Client Focus - Ian Henry’s Barbers

In this client Focus we catch up with Compass Client, and co-owner of Ian Henry Barbers, Curtis Lavell…

Established in 1928, Ian Henry’s is one of the longest running barber shops in Portsmouth. Based on Spur Road, ownership of the barbershop has traditionally been taken on by the staff that have worked there, all of whom have maintained the traditions and community spirit the barbershop was founded on.

After Ian Henry himself worked at the barbers from the age of 18, he took it over and worked as a barber for 60 years. Ian eventually sold it to another staff member, who most recently sold it to the current owners, Curtis and Lawrance Lavell in September 2022.

“It’s a great honour to own a barbershop that has been a staple of the community since the late twenties.” Says Curtis, who continues to work as a barber alongside staff members Amy and Katie. They also support an apprentice who is currently in full time education, for one day a week, who is in preparation for working at the barbers after leaving school.

Curtis owns Ian Henry’s with his husband Lawrance who looks after marketing, finance and general day to day running of the business.

“After working here for many years, I made a joint decision with Lawrance to buy the shop. We were adamant that we didn’t want to change the name as it has been Ian Henry’s for so long, and we wanted to keep that tradition alive.”

Approaching its 100th birthday, the barbershop has been serving generations of customers, many of which have been clients for decades.

“We have older customers that have been coming here for years,” adds Curtis, “Some of which actually went to school with Ian Henry himself! There are many generations of clients, young and old, men that came as boys, that now bring their sons in. We’ve even seen older clients bring their great grandsons in and both have their hair cut together.”

The heart of a strong community

“Portsmouth is generally smaller than the bigger cities and so, in our community, many people are familiar with each other. On a busy Saturday you really see that. There’s a big rush for kick off on football days, the lads rush over to the pub and watch the game with a few drinks, mums come in with the kids. We really are a part of a local traditional atmosphere, and quite a well-known within in the community.”

“Recently, one of our young customers tragically passed away. We had been the family’s barber for years, so it was really important for us to contribute, help out in any way and support the family. Things like that hit you hard. They make you realise, you really are part of a wider community.”

Meeting Compass

When Curtis and Lawrance first took over Ian Henry’s, Lawrance researched different accountants in Fareham, and looked for one that had experience with barbers. “We were looking for a local accountant that could best suit our needs.” Said Curtis. “And then we came across Compass. We had a chat and got on really well. They have been a massive help in getting started and helping to set the business up for us. They are always helpful, always there to help us, guide us through things - especially when we ring up and say – ‘I don’t get it?!’ It always feels like they are there for us, whatever we need, which is great.”

If you would like to visit Ian Henry’s, head to Spur Road in Portsmouth or call - 023 9232 4022

Compass thanks Becky for 10 years’ service

Compass Accountants congratulated Becky James last week for her tenth year on the team. Becky, Compass’ Audit and Accounts Manager received a cheque for £250, a company Compass and flowers to thank her for her hard work and dedication over the past decade.

Stuart Lawrance – Compass’ Director, said- “Becky is a valued and loyal member of the team, and her hard-working nature, diligence and devotion has been wholly appreciated over the last ten years. We are very pleased she is on the Compass team!”

Becky said, “I feel that I’m very lucky that I’m in a job I really enjoy. The last 10 years have really flown by! Part of the fun of working for Compass is that every day is different and varied. We also have such interesting clients, especially the various museums and other charities we act for. Most of all, I feel like I’m appreciated - and that’s why I love working for Compass.”

Ten Questions with Gareth Kendall - Accounts Senior

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

Clear off the credit cards/cars and mortgage and then have an amazing holiday – may even take the family.

2. How did you get into accounting?

A friend of mine made it seem more glamorous than I now know it is, but it is too late to change jobs again at my age. ;-)

3. What is your favourite film?

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

4. What was your first ever job?

Dealer (Croupier) in a Casino in Southsea.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

Stephen Hawking.

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

Definitely the amazing team members!!

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

Telekinesis – I would be like a Jedi and that would be awesome.

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

St Maarten in the Caribbean.

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A soldier. I am the first generation in 5 not to join.

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I can reach that hard-to-reach spot on your back and in between the shoulder blades.

Ten Questions with new Compass Accountants Apprentice - Madeline Le-Moignan

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

I would buy into property.

2. How did you get into accounting?

I’ve only just began my journey here at Compass after finishing my A levels.

3. What is your favourite film?

My girl – 1991

4. What was your first ever job?

A Saturday girl at Treat Your Skin at 15.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

My nana, she would have loved to have seen how things have turned out.

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

The positive and friendly environment.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

I would like to have super memory so that I could never forget anything.

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Canal Lock Staircase, England

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I used to want to be a teacher.

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I don’t like tea or coffee.

Compass Client Steps in the Ring for Charity

Compass Accountants client, Samantha Morrison is stepping into the ring to compete in a boxing event on October 22nd, to raise money for her chosen charity Friends Fighting Cancer (FFC). Sam is currently training hard and is aiming to raise a total of £1000 for the charity that raises awareness and much needed funds for all those affected by cancer, through events.

As a sponsor, Compass has pledged £200- and Sam will now be wearing the Compass logo on her shirt during her bout.

Sam said, “I know first-hand, due to being diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer back in October 2015 and having to go through surgery, chemotherapy & radiotherapy, how cancer effects not just the person but loved ones, family & friends. Being able to take part in something that can help families financially and take away some of their worries whilst going through treatment means a lot to me. So, I will be competing in this year’s boxing event on 22nd October to help raise money for this amazing charity. Please dig deep and help me raise as much as possible to help support families locally.!”

To sponsor Sam, head to her JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-morrison11

Client Focus - Martin and Co - Portsmouth

In this month’s Client Focus, we chat to Matt Berry- a Compass Client- and the Managing Director of Martin and Co, Portsmouth…

In 2012, Matt Berry worked as a Negotiator at the Southampton branch of the estate agency, Martin and Co. It was during this time, that Matt aspired to go out alone, with a view to opening his own branch of the franchise somewhere else in the South. When the opportunity arose to open an office in Chichester, Matt decided to make the jump and teamed up with his dad to invest in their own Martin and Co offices.

After two years, Matt and his father branched out further by opening another division, this time in Southsea. Matt explains, “Things had taken off really well, and so we eventually opened the second office. After this we decided to amalgamate the two, and since then we have run both locations from our Southsea headquarters.”

Matt now runs both offices, alongside four staff members, but his dad is still very much involved. “My dad has a background in construction and so he deals with the construction consultancy side of things.” Adds Matt. We also meet for Director’s meetings once a week, but generally, he is more of a sleeping director.” 

As a residential estate agency, Matt’s offices began with lettings only but expanded into sales two years ago. “Since moving into sales, the business has soared to the next level.” Says Matt. “We’ve seen a huge spike in interest in the property market in Southsea. This really started just before the pandemic -but has continued beyond. It has had a lot to do with a rise in the homeworking. We are seeing a trend in people looking to upgrade their property for larger premises, allowing them to work from a home office, or increase their garden size.”

“Remote working is here to stay, and as a result, people have decided they no longer want to work in the kitchen, or dining room, or in their child’s bedroom. So, we have also seen a huge increase in Southsea as a popular place to live. It has become very similar to Brighton, in that it has the beach, and there are lots of independent shops, bars, restaurants, boutiques and cafes, - it’s a lively hub, and has a good reputation as an up-and-coming place to be. Local people in Southsea are also very proud, and with events like the Victorious Festival and the Great South Run, its popularity continues to grow.”

Martin and Co now boasts over 200 offices around the UK, and the familiar brand is something that has been useful on Matt’s road to success. “The Martin and Co brand has been an ideal fit for us in terms of our investment as a franchisee. They are, however, quite happy to leave us to independently run our offices, but their support is there if we need any assistance, mentoring, or advice, should we face new challenges or issues.”

Meeting Compass

After searching for a new accountant, Matt came across Compass and they appeared to be the perfect fit for a new accountancy firm. “I knew Compass were right for us when I met Stuart for the first time.” Said Matt. “He was easy to talk to, very down to earth and there was nothing he was bamboozling me with. He broke everything down into simple layman’s terms.”

“Compass are easy to deal with and friendly and speak in plain English -and that immediately appealed to me. People often think of a stereotypical accountant, with bowler hat and briefcase- well Compass are the opposite of that. They are very forward thinking; they explore new areas, and they offer a level of practical advice we hadn’t had with our previous accountants. We are very pleased we found them.”

If you would like to find out more about Martin and Co, Portsmouth, go to www.martinco.com/estate-agents-and-letting-agents/branch/portsmouth

Or call 02392 987001.

Client Focus - Army Flying Museum

In this month’s Client Focus, we chat to Lucy Johnson the Chief Executive of The Army Flying Museum…

The story of the Army Flying Museum begins in 1974, when a small collection of items which focussed on the history of Army aviation were moved to Middle Wallop and made available to the public. As the collection grew, so too did the museum. In fact, in 1984 a hangar located on the edge of the Army Air Corps airfield was purpose built for its ever-growing collection.

Since then, the museum has gone from strength to strength, and has seen a further two extensions. Now in 2022 it comprises of two large aircraft halls and accommodates artefacts and aircraft spanning over 100 years. The museum also has a purpose-built archive (which houses half a million items), a learning centre, a 1940s house display, a play park and conference facilities.

“The wonderful thing about our museum, is that it isn’t a complete story ,” says Chief Executive, Lucy Johnson. “The current Army Air Corps is active and ongoing, so we are constantly accommodating new items, and telling new stories, therefore we have the privilege of an ever-expanding archive.”

The museum currently boasts 40 different aircraft ranging from a First World War biplane to a HueyCobra attack helicopter. The next big acquisition is expected to be an Apache helicopter, which the museum is currently reserving space for.

“We have a great relationship with the Army Air Corps, but we also receive items from the general public, who may come across something, such as an object of their relative’s, they find in the loft.” adds Lucy. “The museum has also collected over 80 oral histories as part of an on-going project, that range from veterans in their 90s to people currently serving in the Air Corps, all of which we use to convey real life stories.”

Adapting the museum’s offering

During the pandemic, closure of the museum naturally presented new challenges, however lockdown gave the team the opportunity to reconsider different approaches in terms of how to reach audiences remotely.

“Our target audience has always been families, enthusiasts and people either currently in the military or retired from it, and these audiences are generally based within an hour’s drive from Middle Wallop.” says Lucy. “The lockdown allowed us to reach beyond the limits of our location.”

“Less than one month after the first lockdown, we launched a new online lecture programme, which has been huge for us. In 18 months, we generated around 15k viewers, from locations all over the world, which has been amazing. We also work on a donation basis, so this was very useful for us in terms of generating income during lockdown. We also adapted our Outreach Programme using Zoom, which was also an enormous success and allowed us to gain a global reach, a service which we continue to provide.”

Since lockdown ended the museum has reintroduced other offerings such as conference room hire for local businesses and hiring of Haywood Hall (adorned with hanging gliders and classic aircraft). This hall is used for weddings, parties, conferences meetings, lunches dinners, and presentations.

“Our venue has always made a very atmospheric setting for various events.” said Lucy. “The Corporate membership scheme is also something we have introduced. It offers great reductions on hire fees, allowing businesses to become affiliated with the museum, and support us in many other ways, like adopting an aircraft!”

Events

Whilst new online lectures and gaining a wider audience outreach have been hugely beneficial for the museum, the team are pleased to be reintroducing its physical outdoor events. “We are delighted to be hosting our flagship event- Wallop Wheels and Wings, again on 2nd July 2022.” said Lucy. “This one is predicted to be fantastic as we have a huge line up of the finest aircraft, classic and super cars and motorcycles, as well as flypasts. There is also live music, activities, food, shopping, vehicle parades and so much more. This year we have allocated 3,500 tickets, so it will be wonderful to have the event running at full capacity once again!”

Meeting Compass

Having been a Compass client for several years, the Army Flying Museum has established a strong working relationship alongside Compass, as Lucy explains:

“Compass work extremely well with Army Flying Museum. They are very open, they know our accounts and our industry inside out, and most importantly, they make everything incredibly easy for us.”

“One of the key ways in which the Compass team has helped us, is through their knowledge of the ‘Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief’ which was introduced by the government in 2017. So many museums are unaware of this, or have failed to take advantage of it, as claiming it is a fairly complicated process, but it essentially allows you to claim back tax on your exhibition spend.”

“Because we have been through a large refurbishment project, Compass have been able to secure us money back every year. A lot of our peers haven’t made use of this, but Compass have made sure we did. For that reason, and many others, I’d gladly recommend Compass to other charities or museums similar to ourselves.”

The Army Flying Museum is a charity, that depends on supporters and there are also many ways to help them care for and display their collections, which inspire visitors of all ages to build an understanding of flight, war and conflict and how these events shape our world.

You can support the museum by donating, volunteering, becoming a Corporate Member…. Or simply by visiting the museum! (One single visit earns you an annual pass!).

Find out more about the many ways you can support Army Flying Museum here: www.armyflying.com/support-us

Client Focus - Deane Interiors

Anne- Design Director and Founder of Deane Interiors

In this month’s Client Focus, we chat to Daniel Swatton- a Compass Client- and the Managing Director of Fareham based Deane Interiors…

Deane Interiors is a family-run, local company specialising in made to measure furniture and storage solutions. Based in Fareham, they have been providing custom made wardrobes, fitted bedrooms, bespoke dressing rooms and unique storage solutions for over 22 years but the company was founded long before that. Managing Director, Daniel Swatton explains: 

"It was Anne who originally bought the business from David Deane, who launched it back in 1979. Back then, David was a one-man band, but Anne took over when he retired in 1999, and she ran the business from a small unit on a trading estate in Fareham." 

Since then, Deane Interiors has gone from strength to strength and today, it employs 21 people, whilst still upholding the same passion and family values Anne started with, over two decades ago. 

"Over the years, the company has undergone various changes, but we've always maintained a family ethos." says Daniel. "The biggest changes we have seen is the growth of our housebuilder sector, which we started back in 2008. Housing developers regularly approached us, but we decided not to work in that sector. However, we later reassessed our services, and a developer team was created to provide and sustain the demand after we became a B2B supplier. We now support upwards of forty different home development companies, including Berkley Homes, Bargate Homes, Drew Smith and Bewley Homes. Today, our B2B market accounts for almost half of our turnover."

The majority of Deanes work is, however, with its retail clientele, in bespoke home furniture and storage solutions, a market that is also ever-expanding.

"We have also seen great variation in our home design projects. At the start of the pandemic, we saw demand increase and quickly pivoted to cope with the extra interest. We have also seen our reach grow and now service clients as far as London and Kent. With higher budgets comes a great opportunity to show what we can do. We have worked on home offices and pantries, cinema rooms and wine cellars- we've probably covered everything, but wardrobes, bedrooms and dressing rooms are still our most popular solution."

Keeping it in the family.

Deanes is a true family firm, with mother and son, Anne and Daniel working together to make the company what it is today. Having started working for the company fresh out of college, Daniel has been a part of Deane Interiors for almost as long as the business has been in the family, stopping only in 2013 to develop his own business ventures. In 2018 Daniel returned to the family business and quickly implemented some fundamental changes that created foundations for the next growth phase. Anne decided she wanted to move to part-time, and Daniel took on the role of Managing Director. Since then, Daniel has continued to take the business forward.

"Knowing the ins and outs of the company really works to your advantage." said Daniel, "I first started working in the workshop making cabinets, but I've done everything here. In fact, I don't think there's a job I haven't done at Deane Interiors! Having that broad understanding of how everything works gives you a realistic outlook in terms of what can and cannot be achieved and that's been very useful for me as Managing Director."

Business during the pandemic

Over the years, Deane Interiors has seen three showroom refurbishments, multiple brand updates and over 15,000 unique projects. Its strong brand and reputation has led to continued growth and success, and despite the problematic outbreak of Covid-19, the year 2020-21 was no exception.

"Covid has brought with it a huge number of challenges, however we have managed to get over them. Despite the hurdles, the year has still been good for us. Like all businesses, we are now looking forward to a more stable market, so we can continue to organically grow."

Working with Compass.

After a period of change in the business, Deane Interiors decided to appoint a new accountancy firm and, in their search, they came across Compass Accountants. "I have to say, Compass have been excellent." said Daniel. 

"They have fitted in seamlessly and now undertake most of our financial requirements, including our bookkeeping and all of our accounting. When they came on board, I explained that I wanted a more cohesive system. They immediately untangled an existing web of problems and educated us with innovations and improvements to simplify our processes. We now do everything much more efficiently."

"In a short space of time they have introduced a new system, whereby they provide a weekly forecast of bills, and now, by using Xero software I can see what I owe and who owes me in real-time. They have given us great transparency with our business. If I was to write a review, I'd give them 5 stars. There isn't anything we asked them to do that they haven't done with a smile on their face. It was a great decision getting them on board."

Managing Director of Deane Interiors, Daniel Swatton

The Deane Interior Head Office

Client Focus - Chamai’s Kitchen

In this Month’s ‘Client Focus’ we chat to Mew Harmer, owner of Chamai’s Kitchen - a Compass client- and also staff member at Compass Accountants.

Baking cookies began as a hobby for Mew Harmer, but it wasn’t long before she noticed that after eating one, most people asked the same question- “Why aren’t you selling these?”

After considering a catering business for some time, she eventually decided to make the leap and ‘Chamai’s Kitchen’ was born. “The response to my cookies had been so amazing- it was clear that I could potentially turn a hobby into a business, so in 2020 I made the first steps. From a young age I have always enjoyed cooking and trying out new ideas and recipes, so it just made sense.”

After having a website built, and developing the business, Chamai’s Kitchen took off and before Mew knew it, she was sending cookies through the post and delivering locally.

“I started by cooking a variety of different dishes for local take away delivery. I’m originally from a small town in Northeast Thailand, so many of my recipes are Thai influenced, but it was always the cookies that were the most popular!”

All of Mew’s cookies are stuffed, and freshly baked on the same day with unique flavours including Oreo and chocolate, Kinder and white chocolate, Dairy caramel chocolate with chocolate chip, Skittles, Biscoff and chocolate and many more. Although, customers aren’t limited to the menu on the website as Mew is happy to create bespoke cookies, with ingredients of a customer’s choice.

Once customers pick and choose from the online shop, orders are wrapped in their own unique cookie bag and packaged in a postal box ready to be delivered in one to two days.

Being a Compass Client and Compass Employee

As a Compass client, Mew’s business is not her only connection to Compass Accountants, she also works as an administrator for the team, so she didn’t have far to look when she decided she needed to appoint an accountant.

“I was delighted to get a job working for Compass as it’s a wonderful place to work and a really fun business to be a part of. The working environment is so relaxed and everyone here is lovely, it is like a big family. On top of that, I am now one of the company’s clients, which means I can easily ask Stuart or Kerry for any business advice for Chamai’s Kitchen! They are lovely approachable people- like everyone here. They will always steer me in the right direction if I need any help with the business”

“In the future, I plan to introduce a service where I send dough and ingredients to enable people to bake themselves, so they can experience cookies straight out the oven- and eaten hot! I’m also looking at Halloween recipes and we are thinking about Christmas, birthday, and gift boxes for treating friends all year round. Eventually, I would like to grow the small business to be able to run it full time- and maybe one day - be a bigger client for Compass!”

For more information on Chamai’s Kitchen and to see the Cookie menu visit: www.chamaiskitchen.com

To contact Mew email: chamai.harmer@outlook.com

Follow Chamai’s Kitchen on Instagram at @chamaikitchen

Ten Questions with new Compass team member - Mew Harmer

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

I would buy an amazing house for my family back in Thailand

2. How did you get into accounting?

I am on the admin team so not strictly in accounting, but Stuart and Kerry offered me the job at the perfect time!

3. What is your favourite film?

Is it bad to say that I don’t have one?

4. What was your first ever job?

Hairdressing – I was a Saturday girl

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

It would have to be my grandma

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

All the staff – everyone here is really lovely!

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

Definitely super healing power

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

It would have to be Thailand

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

An artist/ teacher

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

Not so unique - but I can speak 2 languages

Compass sponsors disability awareness training day in local school

Compass Accountants recently sponsored a day of disability awareness for children at Solent Junior School in Portsmouth. Compass funded a fun, interactive and educational programme developed by the awareness training provider, (and Compass client), Bascule Disability Training.

Bascule Disability Training (a social enterprise based in Hampshire), presented a range of games, educational activities, debates and challenges, all of which have been developed to enhance the children’s understanding and awareness of disability.

Managing Director of Bascule, Chris Jay, hosted the awareness day, and the children in Year 3 and 4 spent the day looking at sport and disability, and participated in Boccia, a Paralympic sport that can be played by people with various disabilities.

The children in the years above were engaged in debates and gave consideration to what it is like to have a disability, how disability is perceived, living with disability, hidden disabilities and identity.

Compass Accountants director, Stuart Lawrance said, “It’s a great pleasure for us to be able to sponsor the awareness day and to enable the children to gain such a positive experience. It’s incredibly important for children of these age groups to develop a stronger understanding of disability, and Bascule’s educational programmes do this perfectly.”

Mrs Karen Young, SENDCO Teacher at the school, said, “All our children are tolerant of difference, but it is easy to concentrate on high flying role models such as Paralympians, when exploring disability, when the reality of everyday life is often not considered.”

The children in the years above were engaged in debates and gave consideration to what it is like to have a disability, how disability is perceived, living with disability, hidden disabilities and identity.

Mrs Karen Young, concluded, "We are very grateful to Compass Accountants for sponsoring the training Bascule provided, as it has enabled all of our children a glimpse into life with a disability and to reconsider what constitutes ‘normal’.”

Ten Questions with new Compass team member - Laura Puszkar

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A new house and then I would take my family on holiday.

2. How did you get into accounting?

I got made redundant from my job and decided to try something new. I have always liked numbers and puzzles so it seemed like the logical choice!

3. What is your favourite film?

Hard to choose. Gladiator or Phantom of the Opera

4. What was your first ever job?

I can’t really remember but I think it was delivering leaflets.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

Kimi Raikkonen - He always makes me laugh.

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

It’s such a lovely atmosphere and everyone is so friendly. I already feel very welcomed into the team.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

The ability to speak all languages. Going abroad would be a breeze as I wouldn’t have to use google translate to know what I am looking at!

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Orlando to all the theme parks with my family when I was young.

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A vet - but I decided I wouldn’t be able to handle the sad side of the job.

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I can’t stand the oven timer flashing so I have to press the button to make it stop!

Client Focus - Jane Austen’s House

Lizzie Dunford

In this Month’s ‘Client Focus’ we chat to Lizzie Dunford, Director of Jane Austen’s House, a Compass client, and learn about the impact Covid-19 has had on one of the most important literary heritage sites in the world…

It was within the walls of the Grade I listed building in Chawton, that Jane Austen wrote and revised all of her highly acclaimed novels, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

Since 1949, the 17th century Hampshire building has been open to the public, offering visitors the opportunity to see the collection of objects associated with Jane Austen, including her letters, jewellery, first editions of her books, furniture, textiles and the table at which she wrote her much loved novels.

However, like many museums and heritage sites, Jane Austen’s House faced a challenging and worrying year following the outbreak of Covid 19 in the early months of 2020.

Lizzie Dunford, the Director of Jane Austen’s House explains, “As a charity, up until the pandemic, we were almost entirely dependent on footfall revenue, so when that income stream suddenly stopped it was extremely worrying.”

Jane Austen’s House received an emergency grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which was vital following its temporary closure, but even after the first lockdown when some restrictions were dropped, social distancing measures meant visitor numbers were reduced significantly. The charity was, therefore, reliant on its own crowd funding campaigns.

“We were very lucky to have received an astonishing response in the form of donations, both nationally and globally.” adds Lizzie. “We saw donations come in from South America, Europe, China, Japan and Scandinavia. We were able to raise over £100k through crowd fundraising. These donations and the National Lottery Heritage Fund have been at the core of our resilience. If it wasn’t for those, we would be in a very different position today.”

Adapting to change

The difficulties of the pandemic forced the team at Jane Austen’s House to reconsider new ways of making the house accessible to visitors, during a time that imposed difficult and unusual restrictions.

“2020 was a challenge, but it was also a time of opportunity and so we fast-tracked a lot of our ambitions.” said Lizzie. “For example, in June we launched an online shop and in November, during the second lockdown, we introduced virtual guided tours, which gave us a new way of interacting with visitors remotely, showing them around the house, whilst also enabling us to generate a new stream of income. We have since provided virtual tours in Spain, tours for libraries in the United States, and we now have tours lined up in Brazil and South America. Through this virtual offering, we now plan to maintain global engagement and interaction post- pandemic.”

The years ahead

Whilst in the third national lockdown, planning for the next few years is always a challenge, although Lizzie believes it will be a while before the footfall of Jane Austen’s House returns to the numbers it was used to. She said, “We expect that we won’t be back to our pre-pandemic levels of visitors for quite some time – so our development of the virtual aspect of the house will really help. We have budgeted cautiously to protect the financial entity of the charity and have adapted our business model. We will also continue to be as innovative as we can.”

“Whilst it will take a few years to recover, there are positive and negative aspects of the pandemic. For example, we have an augmented reality app coming out soon, and we are further investing in our virtual tours and we will reap the rewards for those. We are also continuing with our campaign to fix the roof of the house - which we have already had a fantastic public response to.”

Lizzie concludes, “Despite having a tough year and having more grey hairs that I had one year ago- it’s still a great privilege to be involved with an author so revered, so beloved and so funny. Working for Jane Austen’s House is always a joy. My team have also been incredible, I am very lucky to have such an innovative, driven, passionate and skilled group, who have adapted and excelled. They have been extraordinary.”

You can support Jane Austen’s House in many ways, from sharing its social media content, to browsing the website, visiting the online shop, booking a virtual tour or simply reading a Jane Austen book. If you would like to sponsor a roof tile to help save the roof, or you would like to consider a corporate sponsorship or business partnership - head to the website: www.janeaustens.house.

Ten Questions with Compass team member - Louise Edwards

In this ’Ten Questions with’… we interview our newest member of the team, Louise Edwards, who recently joined Compass as an Accountant.

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A house for my parents, close to mine!

2. How did you get into accounting?

I had been made redundant from my first job, where I worked within the accounts department. My naive self thought -I would take a few months off, as I had my redundancy pay, but my Parents had other ideas! My Mum saw an advert in the window of a local accountancy firm and made me apply. I’m so glad I did, I discovered that I love Accountancy and working with numbers!

3. What is your favourite film?

Love Actually

4. What was your first ever job?

Shop Assistant at Superdrug, only 3 hours a week on a Saturday afternoon when I was 16.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

My Great Nanny. She passed when I was young, but I still remember her fondly and would love to spend time with her again.

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

Friendly, welcoming colleagues and a happy working environment.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

I’m not sure!!

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

The Maldives

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A teacher. However now I have home schooled my kids throughout two school closures, I can honestly say I am glad I did not pursue this!

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

My Mum buys my cousin and I fluffy socks every Christmas, and we always swap one of them with each other so that we both have the same pair of odd socks. We then randomly send each other odd sock photos throughout the year.

Ten Questions with Compass team member - Sue Elliott

Our latest ‘10 Questions With’ features a new member of the Compass team, Sue Elliott…

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

If I won the lottery the first thing I’d buy is a holiday home in northern Italy.

2. How did you get into accounting?

I got into payroll when I worked in Personnel.

3. What is your favourite film?

My favourite film is Educating Rita

4. What was your first ever job?

My first job was as a night club receptionist when I was in sixth form.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

I would love to invite Nelson Mandela to a dinner party.

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

What I like best about Compass is the friendly atmosphere.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

The superpower I would love to have is the ability to not need sleep.

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Northern Italy and the Italian lakes are my favourite place that I have been so far.

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I wanted to be an air hostess which is quite funny as now I really don’t enjoy flying!

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I love curry but I hate chilli.

Ten Questions with Compass team member - Kerry Sweeney

In this ’Ten Questions with’… we interview our newest member of the team, Kerry Sweeney, who recently joined Compass as a Trainee Accountant.

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

I would buy a house

2. How did you get into accounting?

I started studying for my AAT level 2 in my spare time and then applied for a trainee position.

3. What is your favourite film?

Labyrinth

4. What was your first ever job?

My first job was as a weekend cleaner at QA Hospital in Portsmouth.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

I would like to invite my family

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

The people, everyone is so lovely.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

To apparate/disapparate (otherwise known as teleportation).

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Thailand

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Something to do with CSI/Mortuary or forensic type work

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I used to dissect the fish my dad caught and brought home for dinner.

Compass is proud sponsor of AFC Portchester Under-8s

Compass Accountants is proud to announce its sponsorship of the AFC Portchester Under 8 Vikings team.

Stuart – Far left, Matt Far right, Ethan, back row 2^nd right.

The Vikings have a strong link to Compass, as Director Stuart Lawrance and his oldest son Matt- are coaches and Stuart’s younger son Ethan also plays on the team.

“We are enormously proud to see the Compass logo on the boys’ shirts,” said Stuart, “We wish them the best of luck for all their games this season.”

CLIENT FOCUS - IAN HOOPER - HOOPER SERVICES

Adapting your business during the pandemic

In this Client Focus, we revisit Ian Hooper, Managing Director, Founder and Owner of Hooper Services, to talk about the ways he has adapted his business during the Coronavirus outbreak, helping his clients to remain safe...

Thirty years ago, when Ian Hooper originally set up Hooper Services, the business primarily focused on servicing and repairing cleaning equipment. Later, the company established itself as a provider of PAT testing and training courses and became a supplier of white goods and machinery, eventually becoming the preferred supplier for around 20 local authorities across the UK

Like many other businesses, the Coronavirus outbreak had an immediate impact on the services Ian’s business provides. With the introduction of social distancing rules, the business naturally saw a decline in its onsite services. But whilst one area of the business slowed down- another increased rapidly.

The Hooper Services Team

“Things started to change from around the third week of February.” said Ian. “We were seeing an immediate soar in demand for the PPE products we sourced and provided for local authorities. Where before this was a small part of our business, it suddenly amounted to about 40% of what we did. However, the supply chain for PPE has been very fragile. It is a lot stronger now, but in early February, prices would suddenly soar, and this would make it very difficult to negotiate costs. The selling prices are very reactive to the market, and so, some people have been selling substandard equipment for a ridiculous price, which made it difficult for everyone.”

“Credit also became a thing of the past, and the special sanitising systems from the USA that we import, suddenly required payments six week in advance. We’ve had PPE orders cancelled and even stolen! It’s been a constant battle to keep our clients safe.”

“Many of the local authorities we have helped, such as Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire County Council, were unable to use their usual suppliers, due to the high demand, but as we were on their lists for repairing their cleaning equipment, we were able to assist them when they needed supplies. Now we are also helping many care homes, as well as businesses.”

Fairness for all

Hooper Services have always aimed to provide a cost-effective solution and money saving has been a key element of its services. “For around 90% of our clients, we are able to save them money. I’m not out to overcharge and certainly don’t want to make extra money out of clients during a crisis, our primary objective is to make sure people are safe, not to make a massive profit from the PPE people should be able to access.”

An example of how Hooper Services enables organisations to save money is found through the fogging machine service it offers, which provides fast, deep cleaning across all surfaces. “When used by a school in Fareham, it takes just 2.5 hours to sanitise all classrooms and all its offices.” explains Ian, “A job that would takes the school’s five cleaners two days to do, offering them a massive saving of time and money.”

However, it is the WillMop Eco range upright scruber dryer which uses UV light to kill bugs, germs and viruses that is becoming increasingly popular during the pandemic. The machine purifies air, and alters the DNA of the germs it kills on surfaces, and can work with or without chemicals. Having been used in Italian and Scandinavian hospitals during the crisis, Hooper Services is now the UK importer.

“Currently, the big problem with cleaning equipment is that many people are using it incorrectly, without sufficient training, and using chemicals in the wrong way – which can be dangerous.”

Safety over Profit

As workplaces prepare to return to the office, Hooper Services is now reaching out to help companies across Fareham and wider Hampshire, allowing them to return to safe working environments. However, Ian underlines that making money is not his motivation.

“Making people safe is our priority, not making profit.” He adds. “I’m more interested in helping promote and maintain safety across our communities. We don’t aim to make a fortune, the PPE we sell covers costs, with a small profit, and we always keep it that way, regardless of demand.”

Having been in the industry for over 40 years, Ian’s knowledge and experience is vast. He is a member of many relevant bodies including the Hampshire Care Association and the Association of British Institute of Cleaning Science and is open to share his expertise with local businesses, free of charge.

“This isn’t just about business. We have a moral responsibility to look after one another –and I care passionately about that. I always tell our staff that when onsite you are protecting people and you need to know, when you go home, that you have ensured people are safe- that is your primary role.”

“If any business out there wants free, no obligations advice about any areas of sanitisation, PPE, protecting staff, cleaning equipment or services, I’d be glad to help – just message me on LinkedIn.”

To learn more about Hooper Services go to www.hooperservices.co.uk

To link up with Ian and ask him for his expertise and advice- connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-hooper-7b35844b/

Client Focus - First Exhibition Services launches new company, Zero210

In this Client Focus, we speak to First Exhibition Services, where Head of Design Neil Manson, explains how the business used the pandemic as an opportunity to launch and its new sister company, Zero210…

First Exhibition Services is an exhibition design and build company with an impressive portfolio of clients. The Waterlooville based company designs, constructs, and installs exhibitions for events all over the world.

With a 15,000 sq-ft workshop and a separate 10,000 sq-ft storage facility, First Exhibition Services (FES) has been established for over 20 years, winning awards for its stands that range from large double decks to smaller pop-up exhibitions.

An FES exhibition

Trading during Covid-19

Like many businesses, the company’s busy year ahead was brought to a sudden halt by the Coronavirus pandemic, with most clients cancelling the work ahead, as more and more industry events were withdrawn.

“We had a big show in Las Vegas that we were preparing for, that 10 of us were scheduled to fly out to, but of course all plans were suddenly cancelled.” Explains Head of Design Neil Manson. “It was around this time that we realised that we needed to diversify and use our skills to extend and enhance our offering.”

Launching a new business

The range of skills the team at FES possesses meant the company was in a fortunate position of being able to turn the pandemic into an opportunity to do something new. “We have an incredibly talented team of carpenters and joiners and designers, so we were able to creatively speculate about what else we can do,” says Neil. “Rather than diversify completely, we thought of alternative ways we could use our skills and talents.”

“We can build anything with anything, and our environment is flexible in its size and capability. For example, we have a print department that allows us to print large format graphics on practically anything. We’ve always developed our business so that we are able to do everything in house ourselves, which means we are now perfectly suited to take our hands to something new.”

The team at FES decided to collaborate and discuss all the best possibilities for a new direction. “Our goal was to develop something for the future, that we could launch, and then continue to maintain as a strong element of our business.” says Neil. “Something that would add further value to our existing service.”

“We are used to planning, designing spaces and all the electrical and mechanical elements that go with it, whilst developing solutions to problems, so we seemed perfectly placed to offer bespoke furniture for the commercial sector. We decided to launch a business and called it Zero210 and since launching, we’ve seen great success.”

“We are not anticipating that the events industry will be up and running again before the end of this year, but we are developing new clients through Zero210. Having the perfect facilities and team, means this could be an opportunity for us to further expand in the future.”

“The Covid19 outbreak has led to an unprecedented number of companies suddenly understanding the value of home working, which we believe will lead to an increase in remote working, and will create new opportunities for businesses to change their environments. We can certainly help businesses alter the way their new workplaces will function with fewer staff in the office, through our bespoke furniture and design skills.”

Zero210 furniture for Hilton

Working with Compass Accountants

FES has been a client of Compass Accountants for several years now. Here Project Director, Matthew Turnbull, explains how, when looking for an accountant, Compass fitted all FES’ requirements:

“We were looking for a new accountant to help us improve and grow, after a recommendation we met with Stuart and his team and we have not looked back since. They have been a pleasure to work with helping us to make efficiencies and structure our company. They are always on hand for advice and instruction, especially so in these recent turbulent times where they have responded quickly to help us put in place measures ensuring our survival and now future growth.”

To learn more about FES, go to: www.firstexhibitionservices.com

To learn more about Zero210 go to : www.zero210.co.uk

Coronavirus – advice for employers

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads more widely in the UK, it’s worth considering some simple steps to support you and help protect health and safety of staff.

Compass Accountants’ client and associate, Laura Bowyer of Employment Matters is a specialist in employment law, HR & mediation and owner of the consultancy firm- Employment Matters. Here she has provided guidance and advice regarding Coronavirus for employers.

Maintaining good practice

• The need for regular effective hand-washing - make sure there are clean places to wash hands with hot water and soap/hand sanitisers and tissues, encourage everyone to wash their hands regularly.
• Avoid travel to affected areas/coming into contact with infected or potentially infected people.
• Consider if protective face masks/outfits might help for people working in particularly vulnerable situations.
• All staff contact numbers & emergency contact details up to date.
• Managers know how to recognise symptoms of coronavirus and how do they deal with them, ie, processes such as sick absence and sick pay, procedures in case someone in the workplace develops the virus.
• Keep everyone updated on actions being taken.

Pay if employee self-isolates

The government states if NHS 111 or a doctor advises an employee or worker to self-isolate, from day 1, they should receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) due to them or contractual sick pay. In accordance with your sick absence policy, employees must tell their employer as soon as possible if they cannot work, the reason and how long they're likely to be away from the business. Flexibility from the employer for absence evidence ie, they might not be able to provide a sick note (fit note) if they've been told to self-isolate for 14 days. Useful Links:

NHS 111 - https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19

Self isolation https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-self-isolation-for-patients-undergoing-testing/advice-sheet-home-isolation

Pay if you tell the employee not to come to work

If an employee is not sick but their employer tells them not to come to work, they should receive their usual pay.

If the employee needs time off work to look after someone else

Employees are entitled to time off work to help someone who depends on them (a 'dependant') in an unexpected event or emergency. This would apply to situations to do with coronavirus ie, children they need to look after/arrange childcare nursery/school has closed or help their child/another dependant if sick/need to go into isolation/hospital.

Whilst there is no statutory right to pay for this time off, check their contract/Time off for Dependants Policy - 2 days if more time, holiday can be arranged.

Employee does not want to go to work

• listen to any concerns staff may have. If genuine, resolution to protect the health and safety of the staff, ie, flexible working, work from home if reasonable.
• if an employee still does not want to go in, consider the time off as holiday or unpaid leave. You do not have to agree.
• if an employee refuses to attend work, it may result in disciplinary action.

If unwell at work

Also, if recently returned from an affected area, they should:

• be at least 2 metres (7 feet) away from others.
• go to a room/area behind a closed door, such as a sick bay or staff office
• avoid touching anything
• cough or sneeze into a tissue and put it in a bin, if no tissues, cough and sneeze into the crook of their elbow.
• if possible, use a separate bathroom from others.
• use their own mobile phone to call either NHS 111 or 999 (if seriously ill or injured or life risk) Explain their symptoms and which country they've returned from in the last 14 days.

Employee comes to work with Coronavirus

The workplace does not necessarily have to close.

The local Public Health England (PHE) health protection team will get in contact with the employer to:

• discuss the case
• identify people who have been in contact with the affected person
• carry out a risk assessment
• advise on any actions or precautions to take https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contacts-phe-regions-and-local-centres

Close/temporary closure of the workplace

• announcement and communicate throughout.
• make sure there’s a way to communicate with the employer and other people they work with.
• where work can be done at home, the employer could:
• ask staff who have company laptops and company mobile phones to take them home so they can continue working (securely).
• arrange paperwork tasks that can be done at home (securely) for those who do not work on computers.

Please Note: Unless it says in the contract or is agreed otherwise, you still need to pay employees for this closure time.

This virus update is changing very frequently so it’s important to familiarise with the information from the World Health Organisation.

Laura Bowyer is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and an Accredited Workplace Mediator(OCN Qualification)

T. 07971 224791 E. laura@employ-matters.co.uk W. www.employ-matters.co.uk

What happens if you die without a will?

It was recently estimated that over 54% of adults in the UK do not have a will, a total that amounts to around 5.4 million adults. Further research also suggests that 60% of parents do not currently have a will.

Most of these people are unaware that failing to have a will can be complicated, and even disastrous for the loved ones they may leave behind. Director of Compass, Kerry Lawrance explains the implications of not having a will, and how the rules of ‘intestacy law’ will determine who receives the estate…

Dying intestate

A death without a will, (known as dying intestate), means that the distribution of your estate is determined by the rules of intestacy. Unfortunately, these rules can often mean that an estate is not distributed how the deceased person would wish.

Dying without a will also makes distribution of an estate a great deal more complicated, and even if you were happy with the way that intestacy rules would divide the estate, having a will would still reduce many complications and significantly speed up the probate process. It would also make issues such as funeral costs and inheritance tax a lot simpler. 

How ‘intestacy law’ works

Intestacy law generally means that everything owned at the time of death is distributed according to a rigid set of rules. This generally works as follows.

• If you are married without children, the rules state that your spouse (or civil partner) receives everything. It is important to also remember that spouses and partners who are separated but not divorced can also inherit under the rules of intestacy.
• If you are married and do have children, then your spouse will receive up to the value of £250,000 of the estate and then half of the remaining estate, (the other half is then divided equally amongst the surviving children).
• If you are not married (but have children), then the children share everything equally.
• If you are not married and do not have any children then the estate will be shared equally, (in order of priority) to:
  • Parents
  • Siblings, (the children of siblings if siblings have deceased)
  • Grandparents
  • Uncles and aunts.

Living with a partner

 If you are living with a partner that you are not married to, or in a civil partnership with, and you were to die intestate, the rules would dictate that your partner receives nothing at all, even if you have lived together for many years. This is considered to be one of the most hazardous areas of dying intestate. Similarly, if you are unmarried, and your partner’s children are not biologically yours, (or been adopted by yourself), they will not be entitled to any of the estate.

Other risks

It’s worth remembering that dying intestate can result in a large inheritance tax bill. Under intestacy rules, if you married, and you were to leave behind a spouse and children, the first £250,000 will be distributed to your spouse and half the remainder, to your children. Whilst your spouse is exempt from paying tax, your children could be left with a significant inheritance tax bill.

There are of course, many people that aren’t married, who have no close family members or dependents, and therefore cannot see any point to having a will. However, in this case, when no family can be found, the Crown inherits all assets- also known as ‘bona vacantia’ – (meaning ‘vacant goods’).

In such cases, having a will allows a person to expand on where their money goes, and offers the freedom to leave an estate to close friends- or even to a charity or a good cause that is close to a person’s heart.

Contact Us

Compass now offers a full will writing service. If you are interested in learning more- or would simply like to ask us a question, please feel free to call us on: 01329 844145.

Client Focus - Service Dogs UK

Rene & Alisha and Mick & Hudson - who recently passed the Public Access Course in November.

This month, we catch up with Garry Botterill- a Compass client and the co-founder of the registered charity- Service Dogs UK...

Service Dogs UK trains and provides Assistance Dogs, selected carefully from rescue, to support members of the Armed Forces and Emergency Services with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder )

Garry’s colleague, a Veteran in the Royal Navy who had served in the Falklands War, was almost killed in crime related incident whilst on duty as a Police Officer. He was dragged under a moving car and as a result of the accident, suffered from PTSD. It was shortly after, that Garry (who is also a serving Police Officer), looked into what could be done to alleviate the symptoms of PTSD and discovered that there wasn’t a lot available. He did, however, discover many US organisations that were using assistance dogs to help veterans with PTSD. He applied for and won a Travelling Fellowship with the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and visited the States to research how the dogs help, with a view to bringing a similar service back to the UK. After this visit, and with a lot of hard work following the launch of Service Dogs UK, they began training their first Veteran and dog in September 2015.

How the charity works

Based in Fareham, Service Dogs UK has a great working relationship with The Dog’s Trust. When Service Dogs UK (SDUK) are ready to take on a new dog they contact Dogs Trust to see if they have any dogs that are suitable for training, an assessor from SDUK will then go and assess the dog. If the dog has potential, SDUK continue to assess the dog for between 16-20 weeks. Here they verify if it is suitable, and if successful, the dog is then paired with a Veteran with PTSD, who after some initial training at the training venues will take him/her home and continue to train the dog.

“It’s a positive procedure all around.” explains co-founder, Garry Botterill, “Because, even if the dog isn’t quite suitable for our full training requirements, we are able to return it to The Dog’s Trust after the 16-20 weeks initial training and assessment period, as a happier dog that is now well trained and therefore a more desirable pet.”

“If the dog is successful it is partnered with someone with PTSD, and a 9-month period of training and fun begins. The veterans then train the dogs themselves under the supervision and guidance of our training team’.

How the dogs help

People suffering from PTSD typically have difficulties going out, mixing with members of public and being in busy places. They can experience flashbacks and dissociation, and even forget what they are doing. As well as being taught practical things (such as fetching and carrying), the dogs are also taught how to mitigate the symptoms of PTSD. “Many sufferers of PTSD experience regular nightmares,” explains Garry, “So, the dogs are trained to understand the signs of these nightmares- such as noises of vocal disturbance and sweating. They then intervene and wake them up. This means the veterans are less concerned before sleeping and this significantly improves their sleeping patterns.”

“Also, if they are experiencing a flashback – the dog will ground them or bring them back reality, so they become aware that they are not in, for example, a war zone, but in the here and now. They are also trained to escort the veterans to the nearest exit and can even position themselves to help PTSD sufferers have more personal space, so they feel more secure and less anxious.”

The dogs are also able to help with the isolation often experienced with PTSD, as they reinforce a regular routine and structure of going out twice a day. They encourage the veterans to socialise by meeting people and having conversations in the park, all of which increase the confidence the person previously lacked.

“Having a dog has been proven to increase levels of oxytocin in the brain, bringing you to a state of calm, therefore reducing stress and anxiety.” explains Garry. “This engenders trust and a feeling of security-and that in itself helps people to cope better with the symptoms of PTSD.”

“Also, the training procedure encourages sufferers of PTSD to gather in a group training situation and gives them a platform to make friends. When you are teaching a dog not to react to the bang of a car back-firing and teaching them that the sound is nothing to worry about- you are inadvertently teaching yourself that as well.”

Service Dogs UK now have 12 working partnerships with more Veterans waiting to join the programme. Garry plans on expanding the charity in the future, as demand continues to grow. He explains, “Currently we raise a lot of money from community fundraising events and challenges, through clubs and local groups and we have also had some sponsorship – but this year, for the first time ever we are applying for grants. We are hoping this will help us to grow so we can meet the growing need for these dogs from our Armed Forces Veteran and Emergency Services communities.”

Finding Compass Accountants

“I found out about Compass by searching on the internet,” said Garry, “I was looking for an accountant that had a niche in working in the charity sector, and when Compass came up I also noticed they happened to be in Fareham. Our head office was previously in Huddersfield- but we wanted to move the registered office to the South, so it made sense to change accountants.”

“Compass have been great. From the start, everything has been moved over to them with great ease and simplicity. As well as working with the charity- I am also a serving Police Officer, and so time is precious. When you are up against it, you don’t want to spend time working on the accounts, so Compass’ service works perfectly. Also, Compass’ prices are more reasonable than our last accountant- and they are very easy to speak to, very accommodating and nothing is too much hassle- I’m glad we chose Compass.”

If you are interested in the Service Dogs UK charity- or would like to help volunteer, help raise funds or make a donation- go to: www.servicedogsuk.org

Accredited assistance dog - Dezi

First dog on the programme - Ajax

Assistance dog - Hudson

Client Focus – Meet Andy Williams

This month, we catch up with SEO Consultant and Compass client, Andy Williams.

Andy Williams is an award-winning SEO consultant with over 16 years of experience in the market. Over the years, Andy has built a strong portfolio of clients including charities and businesses, helping them to vastly improve their online potential. With background of working for a digital marketing agency, Andy made the decision to go solo over four years ago and hasn’t looked back.

Andy’s service is built around flexibility, which means organisations of all sizes and in all sectors can access his services, as he explains, “I base my service around the needs of the client so if they are a big company, I can go in and work as a part of their team on long term projects, or I can work with smaller organisations who may wish to use my consultancy services for one-off, smaller projects, to identify where they could raise their online potential.”

“For example, a lot of small businesses come to me and say –‘we aren’t ranking very well- how can you help?’, and so I come in and work through the basic steps and provide them with an audit of their website. Often that is enough to optimise their site for local intent- but local SEO has become more competitive and therefore more complex.”

“Larger clients may hire my services for a couple of years to iron out issues and maybe help launch and establish a whole new website. A big problem for a lot of companies is that they set up the wrong key words or phrases as they are unaware of the language their target audience uses when searching. Some businesses use language that is more internal, or familiar to them than the average person. Successful SEO is about doing your keyword research and knowing what your audience is looking for.”

“It is also ever evolving, so you have to consider the big picture, as well as key words you have to know your audience and provide content that will appeal to them. You have to maintain this content through PR and social media – it’s actually a massive outreach exercise.”

Having been in the industry for over 16 years, Andy has come across virtually all issues that have occurred over this time - he continues, “I’ve seen all the updates, advances in new methods, and the spam tactics of the past, in fact I have helped a lot of businesses to undo most of them. I’ve seen the whole sector evolve.”

Working with Compass Accountants

It was over four years ago when Andy decided to go freelance. Around the time of making the leap, Andy began a search for the right accountant. “I was looking for an accountant and through word of mouth someone recommended Compass. I went in to meet them and after a chat, I knew they were right for me. They’ve been my accountants ever since and have really looked after me. They make sure I’m on the right lines, I’ve been really happy with the way they work. I am always confident they’ll do what is needed. Compass also helped me with the transition of being a freelancer. They made it simple and easy. I didn’t have to look anything up or really do much at all. There were things I didn’t understand and still don’t to this day, but if I need to know anything, they talk me through the whole thing. Compass completely look after the finance side of things for me. They make running a business a walk in the park.”

If you would like to find out more about Andy’s service and how he could improve your SEO – email him at andy@andywilliamsseo.com or go to www.andywilliamsseo.com.

Compass Accountants would like to introduce you to- The S.S Shieldhall and its Chief Engineer, Graham Mackenzie

The Steamship Shieldhall is believed to be the largest working steamship, owned and operated entirely by unpaid volunteers, in Northern Europe and has quite an extraordinary past. Much like a floating museum or time capsule, the ship is built on the classical lines of a 1920s steamer with a traditional wheelhouse. The machinery on board is also very similar, (but on a much smaller scale), to that carried on the ill-fated Titanic.

 She is moored in Southampton and now functions under a busy programme of summer excursions and events and is also available as a venue that can be hired throughout the year. Shieldhall is maintained and operated entirely by a dedicated team of volunteers, but as a working ship, she has had more than one job in her past.

When she was first laid down in 1955, Shieldhall was operated by Glasgow Corporation to transport treated sewage sludge down the river Clyde to be released at sea. During the summer months, these excursions would welcome organised parties of up to 80 passengers. However, after many years of faithful service on the Clyde, Shieldhall’s work came to an end and she was eventually purchased by the Southern Water Authority in 1977.

Then, in 1985, a preservation society was formed and Shieldhall was purchased from Southern Water in 1988, for £20,000.

“After it was purchased, the ship was restored to be able to cater for the maximum amount of passengers- as it was when originally designed,” said Shieldhall’s Chief Engineer, Graham Mackenzie. “Then in 1991 it became operational for passengers once again.” Shieldhall now functions as a part of the National Historic Fleet and is widely considered as an operational museum.

“This year is important for us as the Shieldhall will enjoy her busiest ever public sailing programme with some 26 cruises.” Adds Graham. “These excursions are comprised of a mixture of 2hr, 3hr, 4hr, ½ day and full day sailings. As well as summer cruises, we also hire Shieldhall out for events and corporate functions, especially during the wintertime. We also offer a wide range of courses for all ages, from youth training days to steamship experience days. 

“We don’t receive money or funds for the the day to day running of the ship and are without a guaranteed income stream so, much like a business we rely on bookings.”

However, the popularity of the excursions has risen since the society developed its website and enabled passengers to purchase tickets to cruises online.

 “Being able to book online has been incredible for us. In around three years, our passenger numbers have doubled. Also, it has allowed us to broaden our membership. We now have members now from as far as New Zealand.” Adds Graham. “We also have passenger bookings from all over the world. Recently someone came from Texas on the Queen Mary 2 to Southampton and went out on Shieldhall for the day whilst visiting.”

One of the biggest challenges for the society is keeping the ship running due to the costs of operating and maintaining the ship. “You have to remember; she was withdrawn twice as she became uneconomical,” said Graham. “So, the cost of running and dry docking for maintenance can amount to very high costs. Then there’s the cost of fuel- which amounts to around £350 an hour just to run the ship.”

Recruiting volunteers is also a challenge- but the society now has between 60 and 70 people that help with deck and engine room maintenance, passenger care, hospitality, shore crew, rope handlers and more.”

“We are hoping to become fully registered as a charity very soon, rather than an exempt charity as we are today, which will allow us to apply for more funding and grants- and Compass have recently been advising us on how to best make that transition.”

If you would be interested in visiting SS Shieldhall, or would like to volunteer, go to the website www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk for more information and a listing of 2020’s summer excursions.

Ten Questions with Compass team member - Kharmen Ford

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A holiday home - somewhere hot!

2. How did you get into accounting?

I used to attend my dad’s meetings with his Accountant and slowly started to do book keeping, I then decided this was something I wanted to study when I started college.

3. What is your favourite film?

Beauty and the Beast

4. What was your first ever job?

I was a Musical Theatre Teacher at an Academy for children aged between 2-18 years.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

Amy Winehouse

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

The friendly staff and very well structured management.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

Stretchy limbs, then I could be a little taller!

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Barcelona

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Anything I thought was cool at the time!

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I have my diploma in Musical Theatre and Opera.

Ten Questions with Compass team member - Ceri Gordon

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A big holiday!

2. How did you get into accounting?

A friend of mine said “You should try accountancy, I think you’d like it!” She was right!!

3. What is your favourite film?

Mrs Doubtfire – cracks me up every time. Robin Williams was such a legend.

4. What was your first ever job?

Paper girl! I used to deliver the papers before school every day for my £9 per week.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

James Corden 100% It would be the funniest party ever, I’d take the taxi journey with him as well so we could do Car Pool Karaoke!

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

Everyone seems so nice, they’ve all been so welcoming and make me feel a part of the team straight away.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

The ability to find something when it’s lost. I spend A LOT of my time trying to find things the kids have lost.

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Venice – Such a beautiful, picturesque, place. No cars and the wine was amazing!

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A Policewoman, then I discovered I was too much of a wimp.

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I can make my eyebrows dance

Compass breaks quiz night record raising £3,500 for charity

We are very proud to announce that our fourth annual charity Compass Quiz Night raised a grand total of £3,500 for Breast Cancer Haven, Wessex.

Many of our clients, colleagues and friends joined us making up a total of 25 different teams taking part in a quiz and a charity auction. The evening raised more than it ever has before for our chosen charity based in Titchfield that provides free support to those affected by breast cancer.

The event took place at Portsmouth Football Club with guests enjoying a dinner, various games and a raffle. It was the IT managed services provider ‘Aura Technology Limited’ that scooped first prize on the night.

Businesses that attended also included – Portchester Engineering Limited, Employment Matters , The Children’s Legal Practice Limited, Matrix IT , National Museum of The Royal Navy , Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation, Coffee Cup, OH Crumbs, Cakes By DJ, Barclays Bank , Portland, Verisona Law, Glanvilles LLP and Metro Bank Plc.

The money raised on the evening will provide funds for Breast Cancer Haven’s counsellors, therapists and health professionals who support and help people experiencing the personal challenges brought on by living with breast cancer. The charity also provides classes, talks, workshops support days and much more, to help support those living with breast cancer.

Stuart Lawrance, Director of Compass Accountants said: “Every year the Compass Accountant’s Quiz Night gets bigger and more successful and this year is certainly no exception. The quiz has now raised a total of over £10k for local charities- and we are delighted to say that this year’s total sum is our highest yet. We are very grateful for the generosity of all the quiz team members in helping our chosen cause, and we offer a huge thanks to all the businesses that participated this year.”

Sarah Woods, Corporate Fundraising Officer for Breast Cancer Haven said, “We would like to extend our gratitude to Compass Accountants for nominating Breast Cancer Haven as the benefitting charity for their Annual Quiz Night. It was a wonderful evening of fun and food combined with the testing of brain power which raised vital funds for us. Without the backing from companies such as Compass Accountants and other fundraising activities we could not provide the emotional, practical and physical support that is so needed when someone is affected by breast cancer. As 3,000 women are diagnosed each year in the Wessex region, October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an important time in our calendar to raise awareness of the disease and the important work that Breast Cancer Haven provides.”

Ten Questions with Compass team member - Hannah Ritchie

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A house for me and a house for my mum.

2. How did you get into accounting?

I studied level 2 AAT at college and really enjoyed it so went on to get my first apprenticeship after college.

3. What is your favourite film?

The Little Princess

4. What was your first ever job?

Sales Assistant at Currys PC World

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

The Queen

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

The people. Everyone is so nice here and they are always happy to help when I’m stuck.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

To be able to fly. I could go anywhere anytime and would never have to pay for petrol again!

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

America

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I wanted to be a dancer, specifically a backing dancer for superstars!/p>

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I can separate my little toe from the rest of my toes.

Client Focus – Neil Scott - Bloc Design

This month we catch up with Neil Scott - a Compass client and the owner of Bloc Design Studio, a full-service design agency based in Southampton.

With over 20 years of experience, Bloc Design can confidently cover every aspect of creative and design work. Based near the River Hamble in Southampton, Neil Scott is the owner and sole employee of the studio, which is a creative resource to many businesses, both large and small, across the South and further afield.

Neil’s experience ranges from working with large organisations including Barclays Bank, Motorola and Kenwood to a vast number of small and medium sized organisations that use his services.

“I guess I’m a one-stop-shop in terms of what I can offer.” explains Neil. “My services include creative design, branding, websites, illustration, advertising and printing, I even do CGI illustrations for the property sector. I offer the whole range really!”

Since starting out on his own, Neil has developed a client base made up of various sized businesses in a wide range of sectors and industries. One of which is Portsmouth FC, where Neil recently redesigned the club’s crest. 

“Portsmouth Football Club are a great client to work for. Of course, it’s very satisfying to see your work around the club, in the shop and on the players shirts.

Portsmouth is not the only football club Neil has worked with, having also designed for Southampton FC from 2004-2015 and Arsenal FC for a couple of years too.

“Despite having developed niches in football and property, I don’t restrict my offering to any specific area.” explains Neil. “I actually enjoy helping the smaller businesses to rebrand and develop their resources. I also work with a lot of marketing agency partners that aren’t quite large enough to have an in-house design team, and so outsource to freelancer designers.”

Working with Compass…

Having been a client of Compass’ for just over five years, Neil explains why Compass and Bloc Design have a lasting partnership.

“Over the years, Compass have proven to be a great asset for me. They are always there when I need them – they are very knowledgeable and when I do need assistance with something, they have always been a massive help.”

“It’s a weight off your shoulders to know, that if you do need help or advice, they are at the end of the phone. When I visit the offices to meet them, everyone is friendly, warm and very approachable- I entirely recommend them.”

To find out more about Bloc Design go to: https://www.bloc-design.co.uk/

Email info@bloc-design.co.uk or call 02380 172 801

Client Focus

In this month’s Client Focus, we catch up with Chris Jay, founder and Managing Director of Bascule Disability Training. Bascule is a new social enterprise that provides disability awareness training for businesses that recently provided training for the Compass team…

Chris Jay, the Managing Director and Founder of the recently launched social enterprise, Bascule Disability Training- is no stranger to Compass Accountants. In his role as Executive Chairman for the charity Enable Me, Chris had also previously been a client of Compass.

Sadly, in July 2018, due to a number of contributing factors including a lack of funding for schools and difficulties in recruiting, supporting and retaining volunteers, the charity was forced to close its doors after 14 years of working with schools, businesses and universities.

“Eventually, I had to separate the value of the work Enable Me was doing, from the vehicle that was delivering it.” Explains Chris. “Budgetary restraints and financial pressures have inevitably forced schools to make many cutbacks, leading to a significant reduction in extracurricular activity, resources and training. As a result, the necessity for disability awareness training in schools has become increasingly overlooked.” Says Chris.

After the closure of the charity Chris decided to focus on continuing to deliver disability awareness training for businesses and universities- but through a new social enterprise that would donate 75% of its profits to the provision of free disability awareness training in state schools.

“You could say that Bascule Disability Training is the spiritual successor to Enable Me.” Says Chris.

The unique disability awareness training Bascule provides empowers businesses to provide open, inclusive organisations, for both their staff and their target clientele. Through these user-led, interactive modules and workshops, workforces gain a firmer understanding of disability and its organisational benefits.

“Most importantly, for every business that implements disability awareness training, we are able to deliver two school training sessions, free of charge.” continues Chris.

Facing facts

“Most people are shocked to learn, that ignoring the needs of people with disabilities costs UK businesses around £1.8 billion per month.” Says Chris. “At Bascule we aim to help businesses become disability aware so that they can build the bridge between people, policy and inclusive practice.”

“Another amazing statistic is that 67% of the British public admit to feeling ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘awkward’ when talking to people with disabilities. This is also something we help businesses with, by making staff more aware and understanding of people with disabilities- especially team members that work with the general public.”

Reappointing Compass

As soon as Bascule was in a position to launch, Chris made no hesitation in contacting Compass to reinstate the team.

“I didn’t even consider another accountancy firm” says Chris, “I had no reason to and it wasn’t just for the quality of their core work. It was also because of the 'family feel' that runs through the company.”

Having aspired to be a more inclusive business itself, Compass was one of Bascule’s first clients, and the Compass team were provided with an introduction to disability awareness in October 2018. Compass Director Stuart Lawrance explains: “It is our aim to be in a more favourable position in terms of our appeal to both potential clients and employees with disabilities. Bascule’s introduction was very insightful, informative and enjoyable for all of our team. We already feel more equipped to help facilitate any clients with disabilities in terms of making reasonable adjustments and the whole team has certainly gained a more in-depth understanding of disability.”

Chris added, “Everyone at Compass has a genuine desire to understand and support your business in its development and that counts for so much. You can pick up the phone and talk to someone and not just anyone, but someone experienced and knowledgeable. Being with Compass makes you feel like you are in very safe hands and as someone steering a new business, that reassurance is very important.”

If you are interested in Bascule’s disability awareness training, or would like to ask Chris more about how Bascule can help your business- call now on 0330 3800662 or email info@bascule.com or to visit the Bascule website go to: www.bascule.com

Compass is Approved to Provide Probate Services

Compass Accountants is proud to announce that Director - Kerry Lawrance, is now fully licensed by The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) to carry out probate work.

Probate, (the process undertaken throughout the administration the estate of someone who is deceased), was a service limited to solicitors up until recently, and as a result Compass Accountants are one of only a small number of accountancy firms licensed to carry out the services.

Kerry commented, “I am delighted to now be fully licensed to provide probate work as a new service for Compass Accountants. The organisation of the probate of an estate can be very complicated and a daunting procedure and if not done properly, can be expensive. We are therefore very pleased to be able to offer probate services for both new and existing clients, during their difficult times. Combining inheritance tax planning and probate services will now enable Compass to act as a one-stop-shop for our client’s business advisory services.”

Compass Accountants can now guide clients through the complications of inheritance tax, income tax and capital taxes, ensuring that the amount of tax that needs to be paid from the estate is minimised. Furthermore, Compass will work with clients and beneficiaries to set in place plans to minimise future tax burdens.

Ten Questions with Compass Team Member - Nigel Daruvalla

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

I’d go on a world-wide luxury holiday

2. How did you get into accounting?

I was a clerical trainee at the Portsea Island Co-op head office and after spending time in various accounts departments I really enjoyed working in the management accounts section so decided that was where I wanted to go.

3. What is your favourite film?

Karate Kid

4. What was your first ever job?

Window cleaner as a summer job

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

Bruce Springsteen – the Boss!

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

The people - they are all so friendly and a great team to work with.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

To be able to fly so that I can get to places really quickly.

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

India – my dad took me there to see where he was brought up and the country, it was a great experience.

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Lorry driver – I think it was the Yorkie bar advert on TV that did it!

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

When I was a teenager I (allegedly) swallowed a gold fish at a drunken party.

Compass improves inclusivity with disability awareness training

We have recently embarked on our first steps in becoming a more inclusive business, by appointing Bascule Disability Training to implement staff training.

Bascule Disability Training – a Southampton based disability awareness training provider (and Compass client) provided a bespoke package specifically for various members of the Compass team. 

Hosted by Chris Jay- the managing director of Bascule - the training content covered issues including disability definition, disclosure and reasonable adjustment. The training was implemented due to Compass’ aspirations to becoming more of an inclusive organisation.

“It is our aim to be in a more favourable position in terms of our appeal to both potential clients and employees with disabilities.” Our Director Stuart Lawrance explained.

“Bascule’s introduction was very insightful, informative and enjoyable for all of our team. We already feel more equipped to help facilitate any clients with disabilities in terms of making reasonable adjustments and the whole team has certainly gained a more in-depth understanding of the true definition of disability.”

As a social enterprise, Bascule Disability Training invests 75% of its profits into providing disability awareness training programmes for pupils in state schools, free of charge, to promote inclusion, understanding and empathy amongst children and young people. Each business training session pays for -on average- two Bascule training sessions in schools.

“It’s been a great pleasure training the staff of Compass Accountants.” explains Bascule’s Managing Director Chris Jay. “Compass have made a big step on their journey to becoming a more inclusive business, which will eventually bring them many benefits. 67% of the British public feel ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘awkward’ talking to disabled people – so any business with client facing staff really should focus on becoming more confident in communicating with people with disabilities and understanding their needs.”

Client Focus - Laura Bowyer - Employment Matters

This month, we speak to Laura Bowyer, Compass client, specialist in employment law, HR & mediation and owner of the consultancy firm- Employment Matters.

Eight years ago Laura Bowyer made the bold decision, following her employment with a city based law firm, to start her own firm in Warsash, Southampton. Since making that decision, she has built a strong clientele and the foundations of a business she is proud to be at the helm of. 

Having worked in employment Law for over 25 years now- Laura has honed her skills and expertise to be able to offer a bespoke service to both businesses and individuals, allowing them access to her expertise in a way that best suits them.

“I aim to offer my services either on a retained or on an ad-hoc basis.” explains Laura. “Which allows businesses to access guidance on any HR or employment law issues, as and when they need it. This removes the huge expense of hiring a lawyer or employing an HR Director/Manager.”

“For any business- even if they have as little as one employee – HR and employment law issues are a headache, especially if you aren’t familiar with these areas. For my clients, I am always at the end of the telephone to help. My clients often contact me to just run things past me, get my opinions on the best way to do something. I also do a lot of contracts, review documents, update contracts, deal with discipline, grievances and performance reviews.”

The service Laura provides isn’t limited to companies of any particular size, as she tailors her packages specifically to each individual client, her smallest client being an employer of one staff member, her largest being a retail business chain that employs over 80.

“Of course, the more employees that a business has, the more issues arise.” says Laura. “I am what you would call a one-stop-shop and I’m therefore available to do anything from issuing a dismissal, right up to representing a company at tribunal and dealing with the case in front of a judge. I am often required to handle continued absences and manage redundancies, restructures and bullying and harassment investigations. When a business owner doesn’t have the time- or when they don’t know how to deal with such things- I can be there to develop a strategy.”

Earlier this year Laura had met Compass Director Stuart Lawrance at an event during a time when she was considering moving on from the accountants she currently employed.

“The former accountant I had worked with had presented some unexpected bills from HMRC, and those last-minute surprises were something I wanted to avoid. I met Stuart at a networking event, and we were sat next to each other – so I mentioned this and he explained that Compass always made sure clients knew what they were going to pay well in advance.  

If you are interested in the HR and Employment Law services that Laura offers, or you have a question for her-  you can visit her website at : www.employ-matters.co.uk

Or email her at laura@employ-matters.co.uk or call her on 07971224791.

Ten Questions with Compass Director Kerry Lawrance

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

Book a luxury holiday to the Maldives. I have always wanted to go, it looks like paradise!

2. How did you get into accounting?

It was the only thing I never wanted to do! Both my parents were accountants and you never want to do the same thing as your parents! In the end, I fell into it by accident and realised I loved it.

3. What is your favourite film?

Notting Hill

4. What was your first ever job?

Sales assistant in baby section of Boots The Chemists

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

Richard Branson

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

Dealing with a wide range of clients, who I love working with and ensure that my days are never dull.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

The power to be invisible. It would be nice to escape from the demands of work and home every now as well as being a fly on the wall some times.

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Lake Garda, because I got married there.

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A fashion designer!

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I cannot stand people writing in blue pen. I have no reason for it, I just hate blue pens!

Compass Accountants’ Quiz Night raises £3020.00 for Brain Tumour Research

29 different local businesses raise money for Brain Tumour Research at Portsmouth FC grounds.

We are delighted to announce that our third annual Quiz Night and dinner raised over £3k for the Brain Tumour Research charity.

29 local businesses gathered for the evening to raise a grand total of £3020.00 for the charity dedicated to raising funds for scientific research into brain tumours.

Brain Tumour Research were presented with a cheque on the night of the event which took place at Portsmouth Football Club. Guests attending played in their company’s teams before enjoying a dinner, various games and a raffle.

A total of 174 people attended from 29 different organisations each team consisting of six players. ITEC Connect Limited was announced as the winner on the night.

Businesses that attended included – National Museum of the Royal Navy, ITEC Connect Limited, Portchester Engineering Limited, Glanvilles LLP, The Children’s Legal Practice, Matrix IT Solutions Limited, Laura Bowyer – Employ Matters, Stellar Despatch, Portland, Barclays, Verisona Law, HantsWight Searches Limited, Beacon LLP, Liz Dayment, Steve Davis Graphic Design Limited, JPC Property Services Limited, Fareham and Crofton Cricket Club, Santander and Quality Covers All Limited.

Stuart Lawrance, Compass Director, said: “This is the third Compass Accountant’s Quiz Night we have organised – and we are pleased to say that both the number of people attending and the amount we have raised, continues to rise. All teams have been very generous and have helped to contribute towards the £7m per year Brain Tumour Research must raise to fund its Centres of Research Excellence across the UK.”

Tim Green – Senior Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research said, “We are extremely grateful for the support of the Compass Accountants and everyone involved in the quiz. Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers. We cannot allow this situation to continue.”

“Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at Research Centres of Excellence in the UK; it also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is calling for an annual spend of £35m in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.”

Ten Questions with Compass team member Linda Hopwood

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

Someone to cook dinner every night and wash up afterwards.

2. How did you get into accounting?

My friend said, ‘you’re good at numbers, why don’t you work in finance?’ She later handed in my CV to Compass!

3. What is your favourite film?

Grease

4. What was your first ever job?

Sales assistant in a shoe shop

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

I love my job.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

To turn back time

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

New York

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Air hostess

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I have a NATO medal for active service in Former Yugoslavia during the 1993 conflict.

Ten Questions with Compass Team Member Katy Walden

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A luxury holiday!

2. How did you get into admin?

I started in admin when I first volunteered at QA Hospital.

3. What is your favourite film?

Die Hard

4. What was your first ever job?

I was a Saturday assistant in a hairdressers

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

David Beckham

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

The people that work for Compass and the social events.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

I’d like to be able to control time – rewind, fast forward and slow it down.

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

New Zealand

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A hairdresser

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I always need the volume on my tv or car radio to be on numbers ending in 0 or 5.

Ten Questions with Compass Team Member Sam Beaven

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

I would book a luxury holiday to the Maldives.

2. How did you get into accounting?

I did work experience at school in an accountants.

3. What is your favourite film?

Dirty Dancing

4. What was your first ever job?

In an accountants – it was my dad’s accountant at the time.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

Diana Ross

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

The clients and staff are really friendly and we work as a team. The social events are always good fun.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

To be invisible so that you could spy on people.

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Sri Lanka

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A vet until I realised that I didn’t like blood!

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I’ve been told that I have a fascination with Budda’s I have them all in my house and garden!

Ten Questions with Compass Team Member Stacey Leggett

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

I would pay off my mortgage.

2. How did you get into accounting?

I heard about a temporary position from my next-door neighbour, who at the time worked for Compass. The position then became part time and then full time.

3. What is your favourite film?

Notting Hill is one of my faves, I also love the Marvell movies.

4. What was your first ever job?

I worked at Holland and Barratt as a Saturday girl.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

My grandma and Michael Buble so he could serenade us!

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

My fellow staff are great and the flexibility.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

The power of speed.

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Hawaii

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A vet

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

As a child I used to dip my toast crusts in my orange juice and eat them.

Ten Questions with Compass Team Member - Joe Curtis

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

Probably a Classic Mini Cooper – pearl white - black roof.

2. How did you get into accounting?

It was actually a career I got into by mistake!

3. What is your favourite film?

Any given Sunday

4. What was your first ever job?

Unwrapping and placing inserts into newspapers for the co-op.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

Rhod Gilbert

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

The people.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

Healing – you could do anything without having to worry about the consequences.

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Iceland

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Fireman

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I’m a small animal enthusiast.

Client Focus- Meet Katherine and Terri from Vintage Inspired!

This month we catch up with Katherine and Terri, owners of the new boutique and online vintage clothing shop, Vintage Inspired…

It was through their common interest of dance and all things vintage that Katherine and Terri met- and when Terri discovered Katherine had plans to open up a boutique selling vintage clothing and accessories, a partnership in retail was born.

Having launched the boutique based in Gosport, only a few weeks ago, Vintage Inspired has already got off to a successful start with Katherine and Terri receiving great interest from the public.

Vintage Inspired is a predominantly online business, but not limited to the internet, as it was Terri and Katherine’s intention to create a ladies boutique boudoir that allows their clients to come in peruse the garments available, and experiment with various vintage styles.

Katherine explains, “As well as offer online products, we also wanted to create an environment whereby people could come in and try on a garment from the vintage era, that they might not ordinarily wear, to open up their opportunities and have some fun. We are also offering this to small groups of ladies for hen parties and events, that may wish to explore and experiment with a vintage style, with hair and make up and even a glass or two of bubbles!”

As well as selling online and in the boutique, a great deal of Vintage Inspired’s custom is generated at various events. “We are involved in a whole range of different events and sell garments at revival weekends, such as Southwick Revival as well as military events, or occasions that don’t particularly have a vintage theme.” adds Katherine.

A large majority of the clothing Vintage Inspired sell is from vintage manufacturers, Lindy Bop - a company famous for its unique, highly collectable, limited edition, vintage prints. Vintage Inspired sell the company’s end of line stock and returns at a fraction of the original cost.  

Whilst Vintage Inspired has got off to a flying start, Katherine and Terri have not always been in the retail market. “This is relatively new to us” explains Terri, “Katherine is a qualified teacher working in parent support, and I was formerly a support worker, working with adults with challenging behaviour and learning difficulties.”

“Despite not having a background in retail, we have the skill set between us to develop, and have the capacity to understand which direction we need to go in.” adds Katherine. “We have been fortunate enough to have some very good connections in the industry that we hope to develop further.”

Looking to the future, Vintage Inspired already has aspirations to gain a stronger foothold in the online market, and raise its presence further. “We want to really develop the online aspect of our custom, and have already appointed someone to develop our online presence and increase our internet sales.” says Terri. “We are also looking to attend workshops to learn how to develop more vintage hairstyles  to broaden our offering for hen parties and ladies team building events.”

“Compass have been incredible- and we are so pleased to have them on-board.” says Katherine. They have really been a great help. They have supported us, in every step of our journey. They came to our opening -which they covered on their social media- they have been easy to talk to, very approachable and the work that they have done was completed within a very tight deadline. We have been very impressed and have already recommended them to our own contacts!”

For more information on Vintage Inspired- to contact Katherine or Terri, or to see the Vintage Inspired clothing range, visit: www.vintageinspired.co.uk

Or- pop in and browse the vintage clothing, visit First Floor, 95 Priory Road, Hardway, Gosport on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 10am and 3pm.

Ten Questions with Compass Team Member - Natalie Farley

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A family holiday to Lapland.

2. How did you get into accounting?

I saw an advert in the local newspaper.

3. What is your favourite film?

Wild Hearts can’t be broken

4. What was your first ever job?

I had a job as a cleaner in a local school in the holidays.

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

It would be Vin Diesel

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

Definitely the staff and the flexibility.

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

I would choose invisibility - I would love to be a fly on the wall!

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Thailand

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

An estate agent because I’m soooo nosey!

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I love lettuce on my curry!

Ten Questions with Compass Team Member - Sarah Harwood

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A long family holiday!

2. How did you get into accounting?

I started at Walton and Co (Compass’ former name), as an Admin Junior, I still remember my interview with John Holloway!

3. What is your favourite film?

Moulin Rouge

4. What was your first ever job?

A Saturday job in WHSmiths

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

My Nan and Grandad

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

The people - they are not just colleagues- but also friends

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

To heal people

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

My favourite place is home

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I wanted to be a nurse

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I once had the pleasure of meeting Princess Diana whilst I was skipping college.

Ten Questions with Compass Team Member - Sarah McInnes

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

Holiday

2. How did you get into accounting?

By accident – started at a firm training as a bookkeeper and was given the opportunity to train as an accountant.

3. What is your favourite film?

Dirty Dancing

4. What was your first ever job?

A fruit & veg shop worker in Waterlooviille

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

No-one famous – my Dad

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

Definitely the people

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

To read peoples minds

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

My bed

9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

An English teacher

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I am a big fan of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)

Ten Questions with Compass Team Member - Becky

1. What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?

A Villa in Florida

2. How did you get into accounting?

I always liked maths and art and so I decided that there was probably more money to be made in maths and so I did a maths degree at Uni.

3. What is your favourite film?

Spectre - or my favourite film growing up - The Three Musketeers (the Disney one). I would struggle to choose between the two.

4. What was your first ever job?

I was a pot washer at a pub owned by my mum’s friend at 15. When I was old enough I started behind the bar and loved it!

5. If you could invite anyone (dead or alive) to your dinner party who would you invite?

Walt Disney

6. What do you like most about working for Compass Accountants?

I have made a lot of friends working here. I like the way we all get on and help each other. And we also have lots of fun!

7. Which super power would you most like to have and why?

Fly – save on airfares!

8. What is your favourite place in the world that you have been?

Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia


9. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Something arty. I’d still like to be arty when I grow up…

10. Tell us one strange or unique fact about yourself!

I was born on the anniversary of Walt Disney’s death. There must be something in that…

Compass ‘sleeps rough’ and raises over £1k for local homelessness

Compass Accountants team members Stuart Lawrance and Natalie Farley, recently joined almost 100 other business men and women from the Portsmouth area, to raise funds for local homelessness.

As a part of the CEO Sleepout -an event whereby business leaders ‘sleep rough’ to raise both money and awareness for homelessness- Stuart (Compass Director) and Natalie, (Marketing Manager), spent the night in Portsmouth Football Club’s stadium, Fratton Park. 

Between them, Stuart and Natalie raised over £1,000, but the grand total of money raised by all of the participants at the event is expected to be close to £50,000.

“This was a great event to be involved in and we are both very proud to have come together with other businesses and members of the community to raise awareness and funds for such an important cause” said Stuart Lawrance.  

The money raised from the event will now be split between the Society of St James, Pompey in the Community and the national CEO Sleepout.

Compass Staff Join in on the CEO Sleepout for charity

Compass Director, Stuart Lawrance and Marketing Manager Natalie Farley are preparing to raise money for homelessness and poverty in Portsmouth, by sleeping on the pitch of Fratton Park, (Portsmouth Football Club’s stadium), as a part of the ‘CEO Sleepout’.

The Compass team members will swap the comfort of their beds to sleep under the stars in a sleeping bag for just one night to help raise vital funds to combat poverty and homelessness alongside other local executives and business leaders in Portsmouth.

Stuart and Natalie will aim to raise £1000 on JustGiving by asking contacts, colleagues, friends and family to sponsor them.

Stuart Lawrance commented, “We hadn't appreciated the scale of homelessness in our own area and when we found out about the CEO Sleepout, Natalie and I thought it would be very different way to raise awareness and funds to help combat this.”

The CEO Sleepout takes place on 16th April 2018.

If you would like to sponsor Stuart and Natalie on their sleepout- please go to their Just Giving page:www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nataliestuart1

Compass reaches finals for The News Business Excellence Awards!

We are delighted to announce that we have been named as finalists in the category of ‘Employer of the Year’ at The News Business Excellence Awards.

The awards are designed to recognise, reward and celebrate successful businesses and professional individuals in the Portsmouth region.

Entries for the awards, now in their seventeenth year, were assessed by a panel of judges who reviewed the evidence of each business considering achievements and excellence in their field.

“We are very proud to have been selected as finalists for the ‘Employer of the Year’ category and are looking forward to the ceremony on February 23^rd.” Said Director Kerry Lawrance.

“We feel being named as finalist - for what is an extremely competitive award - is already a great achievement. The Compass team is critical to the company’s success, therefore to be recognised for our staff relations, training, retention and care- is a great honour.”

Judging will be undertaken by a panel of experts representing the business community and the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce.

The winners of these highly-prestigious awards will be announced at a gala black-tie dinner held at the Portsmouth Guildhall on Friday, February 23^rd 2018.

Wish us luck!

Compass ‘Quiz Night’ raises £2k for Children’s Charity

125 people attend from 12 different organisations to raise money for LUPS at Portsmouth FC

We are very proud to announce that our second annual Quiz Night was a huge success. The quiz and dinner raised a total of £2,000.00 for the Fareham based charity LUPS (Let Us Play Scheme).

It was a fantastic evening with many of our colleagues, partners and clients attending. LUPS, the charity that enables children with disabilities to reach their potential in interactive play environments, received the proceeds from the evening.

The Quiz took place at Portsmouth Football Club, and guests enjoyed a dinner, various games and a raffle.  A total of 125 people from 12 different organisations played in 19 different teams of six players. It was Copyrite that were announced as winners at the end of the evening!

We would like to offer a big thanks to all the other teams that attended including, Matrix IT Solutions Limited, JPC Property Services Limited, Glanvilles, Portland Business and Financial Solutions, Stokes Solicitors, The Children’s Legal Practice, Hants Wight Searches, Hampshire Hackers and QCA -Quality Covers All.

Stuart Lawrance, Director of Compass Accountants said, “We are delighted that the quiz has been such a success. Everyone who has attended has generously contributed to a very worthy cause. LUPS are an important local charity that not only provides a wonderful service to children with disabilities- it also provides families with very much needed short breaks.”

Compass Team celebrate with a weekend away in London

This August the Compass Team were treated to a no-expenses spared, five-star weekend away in London to say ‘thanks’ for all their recent hard work.

The Directors hired a ‘party bus’ to take the team from the office to London, driving directly to the luxurious rooms of The Shangri-La Hotel in The Shard, where all 16 staff members stayed.

The team then celebrated with drinks and a private dining experience in the hotel and then, the following day, they took in the sights, enjoyed a river cruise on the Thames and visited some of London’s most famous landmarks.

Director Stuart Lawrance also marked the occasion by celebrating his 30th year with Compass. Having begun working at Compass Accountants as a trainee accountant at the age of 18, Stuart is now a director of the organisation, which he co-owns with wife, Kerry.

Stuart said, “This trip has been a celebration of all the hard work and dedication of every member of the Compass team given over many years, and this is our way of thanking everyone for their loyalty and commitment to the company.”

Are you benefiting from the FREE Compass App?

If you haven’t already downloaded the free Compass App, you may be missing out on easy access to all the accounting data you need.

It’s easily downloadable, available on most mobile devices and can be found on our website, or oniTunes orGoogle Play.

Once downloaded on to your device, you’ll have easy access to useful features including tax tables, calculators, GPS mileage trackers, photo receipt managers, finance news, notifications, messaging tools and lots more.

Our client, Sarah Sayers (a Financial Controller at Clemtech), has been using the app and has said:

 “After downloading the Compass App on my iPhone, I have found it very useful especially for checking tax brackets and using the mortgage calculators. In fact, it has actually helped me to decide how much we need to borrow to buy our new home!”

“I find having access to this information very convenient and helpful, and recommend the app to any smart phone users who need financial information at the press of a button.”

Why not try the App today, it is free, easy to download and will help you with all of your financial needs - don’t hesitate- and download yours:

Visiting Fleet Air Arm Museum - Linda’s trip down memory lane

Last month, we sent Compass Accounts’ team member, Linda Hopwood - (formally a Wren) to visit a client, at Fleet Air Arm Museum (FAAM) at Yeovilton. Here she describes how she is reunited with a familiar friend on her trip down memory lane:

“In my previous life (BC – before children) I was fortunate enough to serve as a Wren Air Engineering Mechanic (Mechanical) in the Royal Navy.  I was based at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton on 899 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) working on Sea Harriers. At that time women did not serve at sea, so the wrens on 899 NAS tended to work on the two seater training aircraft, locally known as T-Birds. The aircraft I looked after was ZB604 – Zebedee (he was already named when I took over).

Fast forward a few years and I am part of the audit team responsible for National Museum of the Royal Navy (MNRN) and Stuart asks for volunteers to visit the Fleet Air Arm Museum (FAAM) at Yeovilton. As I drive down the A303 for RNAS Yeovilton and reach the summit of Camel Hill I view my spiritual home for the first time in years. I am met by Marc Farrance and his team and am very excited to view their collection of beautiful aircraft. Dave Morris then escorts me to Cobham Hall where 30 more aircraft are cared for as there just isn’t the room to display all the aircraft in the museum. There, to one side of the hangar in all his glory is my Zebedee and we are once again reunited.  It is a very emotional moment.  Both of us have altered a little over the time and are showing signs of age, although Zebedee is sporting a new beautiful black coat (of paint). Dave tells me that Zebedee’s fate was nearly very different.  He spent 3 years outside the hangar collecting rust and dust until the FAAM asked to adopt him to complete their set of Harriers. 

Huge thanks must go to Marc, Nicky, Bob, Barbara and especially Dave for their time indulging me in my trip down memory lane.”

Linda Hopwood, Member of the Compass Accountants Team.

Enable Me Raises £2,350 at its Charity Golf Day

Compass Accountants’ client Enable Me recently hosted a fundraising event raising over £2,350 at its Golf Day in Littlehampton Golf Club. Compass Accountants were delighted to be co-sponsors of the golf day together with Active Pump Services of Arundel.    

The event, now in its third year, saw a record number of 42 players compete in teams of four, playing for several prizes including nearest to the pin, longest drive and best score of the day.

The teams played an enjoyable but challenging round - courtesy of a blustery north wind - but it was the Compass team that were crowned winners of the overall event!

Compass’ Jeff Walton who led the team, said, “We at Compass have long been advocates of Enable Me and always strive to fully support its cause. Today has been an excellent and fun day, and I’m delighted that it has been such a success for Enable Me.”

Compass was pleased to have had support from friends and clients including TS Tyre Repairs of Fareham, Kraft Recruitment of Portsmouth and Holmes & Quinn of Titchfield playing as The Royals.

Due to the popularity of the event Enable Me is hoping to make the date bi-annual in order to raise more funds and to accommodate the players that were unable to book a place on the day.

It is likely the next Golf Day will be on a different course, with rumours of it being closer to Compass’ offices in Hampshire- (keep an eye on the Compass Newsletter for further updates if you are interested in playing).

About Enable Me

Enable Me is a unique user led disability awareness charity, meaning every employee and volunteer working for the charity has a disability themselves. The charity specialises in providing disability awareness training for businesses, schools, universities and for children of all ages.

The charity helps to demonstrate the needs, challenges and unique life experiences of disabled people in a variety of environments.

Having most recently extended its offering to businesses, Enable Me now offers training for organisations of all sizes based around etiquette, communication, correct use of language, and inclusive behaviour, as well as legislation and adapting the business environment.

www.enablemeproject.org.uk

Compass Client to Cycle 100km for charity

Sam Morrison – the Director of Portchester Engineering- is saddling up for a 100 km (62 mile) cycle ride to raise money for Women V Cancer.

After being diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in October 2015, Sam underwent surgery and also had a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Now fully on the road to recovery, Sam will be taking to the road with two friends, and participating with thousands of other women in the ‘Ride the Night’ cycle challenge.

Taking place 27th May, the ride follows a fantastic night-time route starting and finishing at Royal Windsor Racecourse and cycling past iconic London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and The London Eye.

Women V Cancer is a special fundraising partnership between Breast Cancer Care, Ovarian Cancer Action and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust. The cycle rides have previously raised over £7 million for the three charities.

All donations for Sam’s cycle through the night are very much appreciated and will be gratefully received.

Sam’s JustGiving page can be found here:https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Sammorrison74

Best of luck from everyone at Compass Sam!

Wananchi

This month, we catch up with Malcolm Padwick, the founder of Wananchi- an organisation that develops innovative mobile water purification systems- hear about how the groundbreaking product was developed…

Back in 2008, Malcolm Padwick had a ‘eureka’ moment that resulted in the development of his first mobile water purification system and the birth of his business -Wananchi Ltd. At the time, Malcolm was employed in South Sudan; working on a village water purification project, located on the edge of the river Nile, for a South African organisation.

Whilst working on this project Malcolm lived with mine clearance teams, and in conversation discovered that they were regularly flying in bottled water from a neighbouring country. Malcolm learnt that this water was arriving at the cost of $3 per litre which made him consider a solution to the costly import process which was a clearly a global problem. That evening, Malcolm drew a plan out of what would become the first design of the Wananchi prototype.

“I sketched out an idea for a system that would allow the user to purify the water at the source, to eliminate having to import it at inflated costs.” explains Malcolm. “As soon as I returned to the UK, I began work on developing the system. I registered Wananchi (a Swahili word meaning `for the people`) as a company, and then put everything into the design and build of the first prototypes. To fund the business at the early stages, I temporarily lived in a caravan and earned a living/survival wage working as security at a local nightclub.”

Since launching the company the prototype has undergone many levels of development. The final product is a self-contained, portable device that can purify up to 2,000 litres of water on a single battery change. This means water doesn’t have to be imported, carried around or transported across land by lorry- instead it is purified at its source, on the spot.

Since developing the brand and fully establishing Wananchi in 2010, three core markets have been identified - military, commercial and humanitarian (or emergency). The military market has by far been the most successful. The combat water supply chain in a military war environment incurs massive cost, uses up valuable man power and equipment to protect the water -and furthermore, it puts extra risk into an obviously already, high risk environment.

“I wanted to make a highly efficient and easy to use system.” explains Malcolm. “Using the Wananchi system is simple -you connect the single red hose and place into the source water, switch on the device, and then the blue hose dispenses clean, potable water - it really is that simple. There are no complicated instructions - it is as straightforward and effective as it could be.” 

Whilst there are a few water purification systems on the market, Wananchi is the leader in terms of its ease of use. “Most of our competitors’ products are cumbersome, they are complicated have many components and pipes, making them vulnerable and therefore easily broken. The Wananchi system however, is easy to use, robust and virtually unbreakable. ” says Malcolm.

The robustness of the system is one of the reasons why Wananchi has had so much interest from the military market, with an impressive sales pipeline that ranges from the British Army, Belgian Army, Italian Airforce, Mauritanian Army, Italian Army, Vietnamese Army and Bangladesh Border Guard.

The system has also seen interest from organisers of expeditions for commercial activities, where people are working in remote areas where there is great need for water.

To take the business to the next stage Malcolm is in the process of seeking investors in Wananchi. “We are now looking for the second round of investment to develop our team, increase our marketing efforts and enhance our ability to cope with some of the pending orders of various international military organisations. The business has huge potential - and is likely to expand at a very fast pace.”

Wananchi is based in The Tanneries in Titchfield, alongside the Compass Accountants’ office. Malcolm explains, “It’s great to be located so closely to Compass. As neighbours we chose to use their services as soon as we arrived, and they helped Wananchi to become fully established. They have always gone above and beyond their services and constantly keep our business in mind.”

“A good example of this is when Jeff Walton of Compass, arranged a networking meeting with an organisation that is now actually a partner of ours. This introduction created an opportunity for us that we are still very grateful for. Compass are always there to help and will proactively look for ways for Wananchi to improve. I always recommend them highly as an accountancy firm.”

malcolm.padwick@wananchi.co.uk
Wananchi: 01329 248 247
www.wananchi.co.uk

Compass welcomes Stacey’s new arrival!

We are delighted to announce that Compass’ very own, Stacey Leggatt has given birth to a beautiful baby girl!

Emilia Ivy Julie Leggett was born on Wednesday 15th March and weighed in at 6lb 15oz.

On behalf of the entire Compass team - congratulations to Stacey and Damien, we wish you a lifetime of joy and happiness as a new family!