NCASS | Northern Chartered Accountant Students' Society

NCASS student dinner raises over £1,000 for local cancer charity

The 2015 NCASS Annual Dinner was held on 20March at Newcastle’s Civic Centre and raised a fantastically precise £1,020.16 for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a locally based charity with a national reach.

A strong contingent of 173 diners from across the Northern Region enjoyed good food, company and dancing. The legendary Heads and Tails game allowed for some great photo opportunities as, of course, did the Photo Booth from which the results are currently available on-line.

The society’s nominated charity for the dinner was The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a charity set up seven years ago which benefits cancer patients from across the North East and Cumbria and plays a significant role in the international fight against the disease. The charity recently announced a new fundraising total of £8 million, a target to which our donation will help the charity get nearer.

Chris Soan, President of NCASS commented “the evening was a great success and, on behalf of the NCASS Committee, I would like to thank local firms and organisations for their support and raffle prize donations which helped to ensure smiles on faces and a welcome boost to help the nominated charity’s vital work. I would also like to thank those who attended as well as the committed team behind the scenes to make this another memorable event”.

Photographs from the evening will soon be available in the Gallery section and we will update the website once we have handed over the cheque to the Foundation.

About NCASS

NCASS (Northern Chartered Accountant Students’ Society) is the official body that represents ACA students under ICAEW training contracts in the Northern Society area in the North East of England and Cumbria. We have been supporting student chartered accountants across northern England since 1896.

The society is run by ACA student volunteers for ACA students and, space permitting, new committee members are always welcome.

Join us for NCASS Teesside Dinner

Northern Chartered Accountant Students’ Society (NCASS) is pleased to announce that the NCASS Teesside Annual Dinner will be on Friday 8 May 2015 in Middlesbrough.

Join fellow students from the Tees Valley, County Durham and North Yorkshire on Teesside for our annual dinner at the Thistle Hotel for an evening of networking and entertainment.

Outstanding success to be recognised

We will also be announcing the winners of this year’s CU Peat Prize Fund. The CU Peat Prizes have been awarded since 1961 and are awarded to students in ‘north Yorkshire and south Durham’ for achieveing outstanding performance in the ICAEW exams leading to the ACA qualification as well as demonstrating extra-curricular work/ contributions to their firm, clients or local organisations alongside their academic studies.

The CU Peat Prize Fund was established in 1961 by former Darlington MP Charles Urie Peat, a senior partner in leading accountancy firm Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co (now KPMG), which had offices in Middlesbrough, Darlington and Newcastle. He became national president of the ICAEW in 1959.

How to book tickets

A three course dinner and DJ is included within the price. The dress code is lounge suits.

Tickets are £39.50. Read more about the NCASS Teesside Dinner 2015 on our events page.

To book your tickets please contact Joanne Lucking by email [email protected] or telephone 0191 300 0532.

About NCASS

Today NCASS provides support and organises events across the North East, Teesside and northern Yorkshire. In Cumbria we are called CCASS (Cumberland Chartered Accountant Students’ Society).

Jennings Brewery Tour

The Cumberland Society of Chartered Accountants is delighted to invite you to a brewery tour of Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth on Friday 15 May 2015 at 7.30p.m.

Members of Cumberland Chartered Accountant Students’ Society (CCASS) are also welcome to join us for an insight into one of our well known local businesses.

About Jennings Brewery

Jennings Brewery was originally established as a true family concern back in 1828, in the village of Lorton. The company moved to its current location in 1874, in the historic town of Cockermouth, in the shadow of Cockermouth Castle, at the point where the rivers Cocker and Derwent merge.

Jennings regards itself as a traditional brewer, traditional in a number of different ways. Pure Lakeland water is still used for brewing, drawn from the brewery’s own well, and only the finest natural ingredients are added, including English pale ale malt, Golding hops from Kent and Fuggles hops from Herefordshire.

All five of Jennings Brewery’s permanent beers have won prestigious awards and international acclaim during 2014. The five beers have won a total of eight awards in the last 12 months in the International Beer Challenge, the World’s Best Beer Awards and with CAMRA’s Beer of the Year in Cumbria.

Find out how our real ales are still brewed with care and attention, by taking the friendly, guided tour of the brewery.

You’ll complete the tour in the best way possible, by sampling some of Jennings’ superb Lakeland ales in the atmospheric bar, the Old Cooperage.

You can read more about Jennings Brewery on their website jenningsbrewery.co.uk

Cost and transport options

So that you can enjoy the evening transport will be available by prior booking from Penrith (6.15p.m. at Penrith bus station) and from Carlisle (6.45p.m. at Border Gate, Carlisle, Junction 42) – please indicate the location when you complete the booking form.

Our evening includes complimentary drinks and a pie and pea supper.

Tickets are £15 without transport and £20 with transport. Download the booking form and following the instructions to reserve your place. We look forward to seeing you in Cockermouth.

Prior Pursglove College students win Teesside BASE heat

Business-savvy students from Prior Pursglove College beat off competition from 10 other local teams to win the Teesside heat of ICAEW’s National Business and Accounting competition, BASE on 25 March 2015.

Prior Pursglove win Teesside ICAEW BASE - Northern Society of Chartered Accountants

Winning students from Prior Pursglove College Guisborough with their mentor Penny Simpson and Rob Tindle, Deputy President, Northern Society of Chartered Accountants

Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough impressed the judges in the heat held at Durham University’s Queen’s Campus, Stockton-on-Tees and will go on to represent the north east at the national final which takes place in Birmingham in June.

This was one of 46 heats attracting over 3,000 students in more than 500 competing teams nationwide.

BASE links schools, students and employers to develop employability skills and provide an insight into what a career in accountancy, business and finance might be like.

Assuming the role of ICAEW Chartered Accountants, the students had 2 hours to analyse a business situation, before presenting their ideas to a panel of top business professionals. The students completed the competition under their own direction but each team was also supported by a member of Northern Society of Chartered Accountants who acted as their mentor.

Keith Proudfoot, ICAEW Regional Director Northern & Scotland, said: “We were really impressed with the team’s performance and shrewd thinking. These budding business advisers looked beyond the numbers, and demonstrated an excellent instinct for business and, importantly ethics, to give well-rounded advice. I suspect I’ll be seeing more of these young people in leading roles in the future.”

Head judge Rob Tindle, Deputy President from Northern Society of Chartered Accountants (NorSCA) said: “In the presentations we looked for the ethical and financial data to support the decisions. Prior Pursglove College showed excellent teamwork and role allocation in delivering a very comprehensive recommendation. The team from Northallerton College were the runners up and all teams can be rightly proud of their achievements in dealing with a very challenging business challenge.”

The BASE competition was supported by local firms including Anderson Barrowcliff LLP, Evolution LLP, National Audit Office, PD Ports, ICAEW and Tindle’s Chartered Accountants who provided professional mentors and judges.

For further information about BASE and how to participate please visit icaew.com/base.

About Northern Society

Northern Society of Chartered Accountants (NorSCA) represents ICAEW members 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.

Former NCASS Chair talks about ICAEW Council

John Howarth, currently Chair of ICAEW Student Council, explains the benefits of members nominating themselves for election to ICAEW Council in 2015.

John is a member of Northern Society of Chartered Accountants and a past chairman of NCASS (Northern Chartered Accountant Students’ Society) and he works for the Teesside firm Anderson Barrowcliff.

John is one of the current ICAEW Council members who are featured in a short film titled ‘Why you should stand for Council’. They talk about the importance of their role on Council and what they have got out of it on a professional and personal level.

Whilst there is no election in the Northern constituency in 2015, ICAEW members in other constituencies across the country are being urged to help shape the future of the profession by standing for ICAEW Council in the 2015 elections.

Find out more at www.icaew.com/councilelections2015

About ICAEW Council

The Council is ICAEW’s supreme governing body, responsible for oversight of its activities. Council agrees ICAEW’s strategy and budget, delegating day to day operation to committees and staff.
The majority of Council is elected by ICAEW members, supplemented by co-opted and ex officio members. This is to ensure that Council represents the main sectors and interests of the whole membership.
You can find out more about ICAEW governance on icaew.com.

About ICAEW Student Council

ICAEW Student Council (ISC) is the leading body for students studying the ACA. It brings together student representatives from around the world, providing a voice and a feedback mechanism for you and your thousands of fellow training students. You can find out more in the ICAEW Student Council page.

About Northern Society of Chartered Accountants

The Northern Society of Chartered Accountants (NorSCA) represents ICAEW members 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.

Tanni Grey-Thompson to speak at Northern Society Dinner

We are delighted to announce that our keynote speaker at the 133nd Northern Society Annual Dinner on Friday 16 October 2015 will be Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE.

In Seoul in 1988, Tanni represented Great Britain and won her first Paralympic medal, the 400m bronze. Spinal surgery forced Tanni to take a year away from the track and incredibly, at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics, she stormed to victory taking four gold medals in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 metres and a silver in the 4x100m relay.

The same year, she won her first of six London Wheelchair Marathons. Tanni won the 800 metres gold in the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics along with three silver medals in the 100, 200 and 400 metres. At the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, 31 year old Tanni returned with a vengeance, striking gold a fabulous four times in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 metres. In Athens 2004, aged 35, she takes first place in the 100 and 400 metres bringing her Paralympic gold medal tally to an astonishing eleven.

Her total Paralympic Medal tally is 11 gold, 4 silvers and 1 bronze.

In 2010 Tanni was appointed to the House of Lords, where she serves as a non party political crossbench peer. Tanni took the title Baroness Grey-Thompson of Eaglescliffe in the County of Durham. Tanni is a working peer and hopes to use her experience and knowledge to great effect in debates in the House. She has most recently contributed in the Welfare Reform and Legal Aid Bill.

Look forward to a special evening this October – you don’t have to be a chartered accountant to enjoy the evening with us – our dinner is open to all. We would also love it if members would bring along their colleagues, clients and guests as well as their students and trainees to enjoy a memorable evening and a superb networking opportunity.

The Northern Society Annual Dinner is on Friday 16 October 2015 at the Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne.

During the course of the evening we will hold a raffle to raise funds for the British Wheelchair Racing Association.

You can find out more information at norsca.co.uk/dinner and you can follow us on Twitter @NorSCADinner twitter.com/norscadinner

Sponsorship opportunities

For further information and to discuss sponsorship opportunities please contact Joanne Lucking [email protected] 0191 300 0532.

First Friday Drinks

We have our second First Friday drinks coming up in February after the Christmas break.

Join us at the Union Rooms Newcastle from 6pm onwards for drinks and to network and socialise with other young professionals. We welcome all young professionals and often see many members of the JLD and RICS Matrics at our events.

First Friday Drinks Night

NCASS held the “First Friday” drinks night at the Union Rooms on 7th November, welcoming attendees from many North East accountancy firms, NEYCAG, JLD (Junior Lawyers Division) and RICS Matrics members. Around 45 people attended and enjoyed complimentary drinks on behalf of NCASS whilst getting the chance to socialise with other young professionals.

Our next drinks event will be held on Friday 6th February, more details to follow shortly.

NCASS supports ICAEW BASE 2015

NCASS – the Northern Chartered Accountant Students’ Society is pleased to support the ICAEW BASE business competition with heats across the north east and Cumbria in 2015.

BASE is ICAEW’s national Business, Accounting and Skills Education competition for students aged 16-19. A unique and exciting experience, students are able to engage in a challenging business game that enables them to develop key employability skills and understand what it’s like to be an ICAEW Chartered Accountant.

Watch the video to learn about the national final of ICAEW BASE 2014:

Consisting of 46 UK regional heats and one spectacular national final, students of all abilities attend their local heat to; find out more about careers in accountancy, finance and business, compete in a thought-provoking business game and network with professionals at a dedicated employer exhibition.

ICAEW BASE 2015 in the north east and Cumbria

In 2015 there will be 3 heats taking place across the north east and Cumbria. Northern Society members volunteer their time to assist with each heat – by acting as a mentor with each of the student teams or by being part of the judging panel. If you would like to help with ICAEW BASE 2015 heats in our area then please contact Joanne Lucking.

Schools and sixth form colleges can enter their teams and take part in one of the regional heats in our area in 2015:

24 February 2015 – Carlisle (University of Cumbria)
11 March 2015 – Newcastle upon Tyne (Northumbria University)
25 March 2015 – Teesside (Durham University, Stockton Campus)

You can find out more about BASE at www.icaew.com/base

Northern Society Graduation and Prize-Giving Event 2015

We look forward to recognising the success of all Northern Society ACA students who became exam qualified during 2014 in our annual Graduation and Prize-giving Event on Saturday 18 April 2015.

More details will appear nearer the time on this page. Students who have won exam prizes and those students who became exam-qualified during 2014 will be invited to attend the event with up to 3 guests – students will be contacted by letter through the post.