Northern Society of Chartered Accountants

Message from our President – Autumn 2019 6 September 2019

Here is the Autumn 2019 Message from the President which was part of Norsca News recently sent to all members of Northern Society of Chartered Accountants who live in the North East & Cumbria and who have opted-in to receive local & regional news updates from ICAEW.

Great summer

It’s been a great summer for weather and for sport.  The men’s cricket world cup’s thrilling climax, the football world cup for women, the netball world cup in Liverpool, and the usual tennis, swimming, athletics, cycling and motor sport events.  A lot of TV sport missed if you preferred to be outside enjoying the sunshine with others.  But it’s all about choices.

It’s the same in life generally – we make choices on what to do and whilst we might miss out in one area we usually more than make up for that with alternative experiences and achievements by doing so.

the more you put in, the more you will get out.

My philosophy has been to treat life as a piggy bank: the more you put in, the more you will get out.  From participating in Student Union at University – and getting to NUS conferences to rub shoulder with Jack Straw and Sue Slipman – to getting involved with NCASS then my local ICAEW Branch and Northern Society. 

I feel the return in terms of enjoying different experiences, including several visits to Chartered Accountants’ Hall, widening my professional network and at least three job opportunities, has been more than worth the investment.

Now I am leading the Northern Society as your President, a path I first joined in 2000 as Vice President before having to relinquish my role as Deputy President in September 2001 when appointed ICAEW Regional Director for, initially, this region then adding Scotland and latterly the three District Societies of Yorkshire (West Yorkshire & York; Sheffield and Humberside). 

Leaving ICAEW in 2017 meant I was able to resume the Presidential quest leading to my election as President at our AGM in May.

The year ahead

My hope for this year is to build on the work of previous Presidents who have always left their successor with the Northern Society in a great place.

From my time with ICAEW I know this society offers one of the best array of activities – from face to face CPD to networking events and much in between.  Please do check the events on the norsca.co.uk website and of course in NorSCA News.

Participation

This year I hope to grow total attendances at NorSCA events, wider participation adds to the benefits enjoyed by attendees. 

They all offer something, please do take a bit of time to consider how you, and your personal “piggy bank of life” could benefit.

The same thought process might lead you to help your society – there is a “job advert” in this issue seeking volunteers to help run events. 

your personal “piggy bank of life”

It is important for sustainability to have a continuous flow of members helping out.  You will quickly discover our Branch and event committees are filled not with experts who know everything but by people a lot like you; members who have broadened their skill set (and contacts) by organising some of what we do as well as contributing from time to time in ICAEW activities.

Please do give this your consideration – I am not the only one to have found satisfaction and reward from contributing to my professional body. 

Whatever you do I hope there will be an opportunity to try something new to you and that our paths will cross before my Presidential year is over.

Keith Proudfoot
President, Northern Society of Chartered Accountants

Dont’ forget this year’s Northern Society Business and Awards Dinner takes place on Friday 11 October 2019; the guest speaker is award-winning comedian Jo Caulfield.

Support for ICAEW members across Northern England

Northern Society of Chartered Accountants was established in 1882.  Since then our members have been assisting businesses in the north of England and producing chartered accountants for over 130 years.

assisting businesses in the north of England for over 130 years

Keith will be supported in his role as President by:

Deputy President Chris Soan, who is a Senior Lecturer in Accounting at Newcastle University; and

Vice President Yvonne Gale, who is CEO of NEL Fund Managers.

Keith was appointed at the recent Northern Society of Chartered Accountants AGM, which took place at the Northern Counties Club in Newcastle on Thursday 30 June. 

About Northern Society of Chartered Accountants

Northern Society of Chartered Accountants (NorSCA) represents 4,000 ICAEW members and ACA students working in business and the finance profession across the North East of England, Teesside, northern Yorkshire and Cumbria.

We have been assisting businesses in the north of England and producing chartered accountants for over 130 years.

About ICAEW

There are over 1.7m chartered accountants around the world – talented, ethical and committed professionals who use their expertise to ensure we have a successful and sustainable future.

Over 149,000 of these are ICAEW Chartered Accountants. We train, develop and support each one of them so that they have the knowledge and values to help build local and global economies that are sustainable, accountable and fair.

We’ve been at the heart of the accountancy profession since we were founded in 1880 to ensure trust in business. We share our knowledge and insight with governments, regulators and business leaders worldwide as we believe accountancy is a force for positive economic change across the world.

ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) is a founder member of Chartered Accountants Worldwide and the Global Accounting Alliance.