We are delighted to announce that we have won the coveted Financial and Professional Award at the Skills for Business Awards 2016 – beating off some tough competition in our category. The Skills for Business Awards is an annual event celebrating the outstanding commitment that businesses across Greater Manchester make to skills and learning. Andrew Baggott, our Managing Partner, commented; “I am absolutely delighted with our Skills for Business Awards win, which comes in recognition of the...

New Chamber President for Stockport Brian Bradley, of Clarke Nicklin Chartered Accountants, has been appointed as the new Stockport President of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Greater Manchester Chamber is the largest Chamber of Commerce in the UK with over 4,500 members, around 450 of which are Stockport based companies. Brian, who is a partner at the accountancy practice, takes over from Sue Souter who stepped down as President at the Chamber’s Action for Business Event on 24...

CLARKE NICKLIN ANNOUNCE CHARITY PARTNERSHIP Stockport based accountants and business advisors Clarke Nicklin have announced a new partnership with local charity When You Wish Upon A Star. When You Wish Upon A Star is a charity which grants the wishes of children living with a life threatening illness. It was founded in 1990 and since then has granted over 16,000 Wishes across the UK. These wishes can range from meeting sporting heroes, to swimming with dolphins, holidaying in Disneyland and of...

Clarke Nicklin back Spark Stockport competition Cheadle based accountants and business advisors Clarke Nicklin are delighted to support ‘Spark Stockport’ for the second year running. Spark is a business ideas competition, ran by Oxford Innovation at Stockport Business & Innovation Centre (SBIC) and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, whereby budding entrepreneurs put forward business ideas to be in with a chance of winning a business support package worth £15,000. The...

The Social raises thousands for cancer prevention charity The Social raises thousands for cancer prevention charity The Social, an invitation-only networking group for those in the property & construction sectors, has raised £4,400 at their Christmas lunch for Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention. Genesis is the only UK charity entirely dedicated to the prevention of breast cancer. Angela Wrobel, corporate fundraiser, spoke at the event; ''We'd like to say a huge thank you to the sponsors and...

AWARDS CELEBRATING THE BEST OF STOCKPORT AWARDS CELEBRATING THE BEST OF STOCKPORT This year’s Stockport Business Awards proved to be a resounding success as they recognised the achievements of the town’s biggest and brightest companies. Over 340 of Stockport’s leading business figures attended the event at the Hallmark Hotel to celebrate the 2014 winners and help to raise money for this year’s chosen charity The Together Trust. Andrew Baggott, MD of Clarke Nicklin Chartered Accountants,...

BRIGHT SPARKS GRAB EXPERT ADVICE PACKAGE Inspired Goodbyes, a unique funeral gifts provider, has won a business idea competition organised by Stockport Business & Innovation Centre (SBIC). Spark Stockport attracted a wide range of entrants but it was Inspired Goodbyes innovative thinking that saw them crowned winners. Amongst the prizes on offer was 12 months business support from Clarke Nicklin Chartered Accountants. They were involved in the competition from the get go which concluded with...

New-look business centre gets backing of local accountants Stockport Business and Innovation Centre (SBIC) in Broadstone Mill, has undergone a huge transformation and now boasts a fantastic environment in which businesses can thrive. The re-launched centre has been developed to support local businesses and create jobs by providing office space, meeting rooms and virtual offices plus a platform for innovative businesses to flourish. It offers its own business support to tenants and recently...

Clarke Nicklin client Digital Next acquires Just Search Manchester's Digital Next has announced the acquisition of Just Search, one of the founding members of the search industry. Based at The Sharp Project, Digital Next is a full service digital marketing agency and CEO Justin Blackhurst is confident that the move will position the company as 'pound for pound, the best outside London.' The acquisition was advised by Stockport based chartered accountants Clarke Nicklin, whose specialist...

Businesses raise £1000s for charity A business networking group has pulled together to arrange a festive fundraiser for a local charity. The event, organised by The Social, an invitation-only networking group for those in the property & construction sectors, took place at the Castlefield Rooms in Manchester and raised thousands for their charity partner Forever Manchester. Forever Manchester raises and distributes money to support local people, groups and grass-root charities throughout...

Autumn Statement - Key Announcements Here is a summary of the key points arising from this morning's Autumn Statement: A married couple's transferable tax allowance will be introduced from 2015-16 which will mean that certain couples could benefit by up to £200 Fuel duty will be frozen for the remainder of this Parliament, saving a typical motorist £405 between now and 2015/16 National Insurance contributions for under-21s, where earnings are below £803 per week, are being abolished The Small...

Mo Fundraising at Stockport Accountants Clarke Nicklin This month two staff members at a Stockport accountancy practice Clarke Nicklin will embark on a 3 month challenge to fundraise for Prostate Cancer UK and Bowel Cancer UK. Dan Woodier and Gareth Jones, from Clarke Nicklin chartered accountants, will grow their facial hair to raise funds and awareness for these two worthy causes, both of which aim to save lives and promote a better quality of life for people affected by cancer. The...

Another success for Stockport Business Awards This year's Stockport Business Awards proved to be a resounding success as they recognised the achievements of the town's biggest and brightest companies. 340 of Stockport's leading business figures attended the event at the Hallmark Hotel to celebrate the 2013 winners and help to raise money for this year's chosen charity The Weekend Day Centre for Dementia Care - the total amount raised was over £5000! Andrew Baggott, MD of Clarke Nicklin...

Another success for Stockport Business Awards Last week Clarke Nicklin welcomed John Young, one of the Bank of England’s chief economists to their offices. He visited the accountants in Stockport to present a seminar on the ‘State of the Economy.’ The seminar, which is a regular fixture at Clarke Nicklin, was attended by around 30 local business people. Attendees gave positive feedback and felt a little more optimistic about the economy after the event! John is the North West agent for the...

The first Technical School in the country opens in Stockport SK1, Stockport Technical opened its doors to students last week. The school is the first technical school in the country and is pioneering a fresh approach to learning with a firm focus on "education to prepare you to earn a living". The school enrolled 100 students and is full for the first year. Philippa Ollerhead, School Principal said "I am delighted to be leading such an innovative school and am passionate about providing a...

April 2013 – Clarke Nicklin shows support to local business and young people Clarke Nicklin has further proven its commitment to local business and young people, with partner Brian Bradley taking part in the recent Greater Manchester Chamber Action for Business forum; ‘Businesses Engaging with Young People’ At the event Brian spoke about PEEBS, an initiative which he helped develop with G M Chamber and Stockport Council which brings together businesses with local schools and colleges in...

Pension Auto-Enrolment You may have seen the recent pension auto-enrolment TV campaign and wondered what it is all about and why it has been introduced? The government owes in excess of £1 trillion and can no longer afford to support the UK’s ageing population through retirement especially as 22% of us are not saving anything for our supposed golden years. The government’s answer to this is twofold; the introduction of pension auto-enrolment and changes to the default retirement age. In simple terms...

Towns first ever Business Awards a roaring success say organisers Clarke Nicklin were joined by businesses from across Stockport in a night of celebration at the town's first ever business awards. Ten leading Stockport businesses were crowned winners at the town's inaugural Business Awards, which were organised by the Stockport-based accountancy firm. Andrew Baggott, Managing Partner of Clarke Nicklin, said: "This is our first year so we had to hope that people would get behind the initiative, but we...

Tax Amnesty For Internet Traders People who've been trading on the internet but haven’t paid the taxes they owe have been offered a three-month amnesty by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to pay the outstanding tax due and take advantage of lower penalties. The idea behind this is that if you’ve been trading on the internet and deliberately not declared all your income in the past, you can now come forward and get on track. The incentive is that if you own up now you’ll only have to pay a...

Tax refunds for Smartphone users Smartphone users may be able to claim a tax refund following a recent rule change by HM Revenue & Customs. Previously, HMRC took the view that smartphones, such as iPhones, BlackBerrys and other similar devices were not the same as conventional mobile phones, which can be provided tax free to employees, so that up until now smartphones have been treated as a taxable benefit in kind. However, the taxman has now changed his mind and decided that they should not be...

Stockport Business Awards Launch Stockport businesses large and small will get chance to have their achievements recognised in a new awards scheme which launched on 26th Jan 2012. The scheme has been welcomed by the town's business community and over 180 showed their support by attending the launch event. The brainchild of Clarke Nicklin's business development director Ben Poland, the Stockport Business Awards will celebrate everything that's good about doing business in the town and...

Clarke Nicklin has appointed a business development manager to its rapidly expanding team. Richard Morton, 41, joins the team following a busy summer, which has seen four other new recruits join the company, three management promotions and the promotion of director Paul Mellor to Partner. Richard boasts a wealth of financial experience having worked at Barclays Bank and as a self-employed commercial finance broker. His most recent post was at Cooper Williamson Business Finance where he led...

Ben Poland is backing the bid! Clarke Nicklin's Business Development Director Ben Poland has been leading Stockport's bid for city status in conjunction with Stockport Council. Ben says "No one knows all the business benefits and opportunities that City status may bring to Stockport but given that the application process costs little we have to go for it! City status would help to put us on the map as agencies such as MIDAS would actively promote us; it could be the catalyst we need to spark a...

New Addition to the Team Joanna Wilson has joined the Financial Planning team as paraplanner. She has been tasked with researching, and preparing detailed analysis and reports to enable the organisation's financial advisors to provide full wealth management advice, further developing the team's knowledge and expertise in the rapidly changing personal financial planning market. Speaking of the appointment Andrew Baggott said: "This is the latest in a number of appointments we have made across...

Congratulations and Exam Success Congratulations to… Simon Coop who married long term partner Sarah on 10th June. The wedding, which took place in Dubrovnik in Croatia, was attended by 40 close family and friends. Clarke Nicklin staff were guests at a party to celebrate, which was held on Simon's return from his Honeymoon, in July! Exam Success Partner Paul Mellor has become a fully qualified IFA. Speaking of the news he said: "My team's portfolio consists of small businesses so it's crucial we...

Marple athletic under 9s score with Clarke Nicklin Clarke Nicklin Group has signed a deal to sponsor local football team Marple Athletic Junior Football Club Under 9's. The deal will see Clarke Nicklin take pride of place as Marple Athletic Under 9's shirt sponsor. The team, who are just starting a new season in the East Manchester Junior Football League Division 1, the premier small sided junior football league in the region, has close ties with Clarke Nicklin given its manager is one of the...

Clarke Nicklin announces the appointment of three new Managers Clarke Nicklin are pleased to announce that we have promoted three of our team to Manager's. Rob Mowat, Gareth Jones and Catherine Holland, all ACCA qualified accountants, have started their new roles this month which will see them assume responsibility for management of clients across the company. Mowat (28) has been with the company for six years and as part of his management role he will extend his portfolio of clients,...

New Financial Planning appointment Clarke Nicklin has expanded its financial planning division with a new appointment. 40 year old Joanna Wilson has joined the team as paraplanner. She has been tasked with researching, and preparing detailed analysis and reports to enable the organisation's financial advisors to provide full wealth management advice, further developing the team's knowledge and expertise in the rapidly changing personal financial planning market. Speaking of the appointment Andrew...

Clarke Nicklin partner takes on academic role Brian Bradley, partner at South Manchester based accountancy and advisory group Clarke Nicklin, has been appointed as governor at Stockport College. The prestigious role will see Bradley becoming an integral part of the monitoring and control of the financial governance at the College and assist with strategic plans at the College. He is the 17th governor to join the board. Speaking of the news, Bradley said: "This is a great opportunity and I am...

Vince Cable visits Clarke Nicklin Dr Vince Cable MP recently met Stockport business leaders during a visit to the town. The event was organised and hosted at Clarke Nicklin Group's offices in Cheadle, the meeting was attended by a team of people including business secretary the Right Honourable Vince Cable, Hazel Grove MP and business minister Andrew Stunell, Cheadle MP Mark Hunter, Clarke Nicklin senior partners Andrew Baggott and Steve Humphries, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce...

Clarke Nicklin raising money for Comic Relief Staff at Clarke Nicklin had a fun day whilst raising lots of cash for Comic Relief this Red Nose Day! We held a 'dress down day' which meant all employees paid a £1 donation to come into work in their casual clothes. We also had an Easter Egg raffle and a cake sale! (You can see a picture of the Easter Egg winners below, and another of all the staff who participated!) Everyone gave generously and all together we raised £111.26 which we are very...

Clarke Nicklin help to secure Lowri Beck £8m funding deal Energy metering company Lowri Beck has secured an £8m finance package from Yorkshire Bank in Manchester to fund plans to expand its installation services. The Wigan-based business reads gas and electricity meters on behalf of utility providers including Npower and EDF, installs new electricity meters and has a customer service call centre in the town. The company posted a turnover of £24.1m in the year to December 31, 2010, up from...

Clarke Nicklin wins 2020 International Firm of the Year award Clarke Nicklin has earned rich reward for a global business expansion strategy by taking the top international award at a prestigious industry dinner! The firm won the 2020 International Firm of the Year award from the 2020 Innovation Group, the leading membership organisation for progressive accountants in the UK, representing over 1300 member firms. Snooker legend Steve Davies presented Clarke Nicklin partners Steve Humphries and...

Margaret Meynell retires GJanuary saw Margaret Meynell retire following her 60th birthday. She has since enjoyed a six month tour of Australia with her husband Dave.

Investors in People The Investors In People recognitionpanel is very pleased to confirm that The Clarke Nicklin Group has been recognised as an Investors in People. The assessor concluded 'Clarke Nicklin should be congratulated onachieving IIP status. Clarke Nicklin is an innovative and forward thinking Group that demonstrated that itfully embraced new initiatives andideas. The leadership were fully committed towards the development of themselves and others, thereby ensuring the Group's vision for...

Three new partners! Clarke Nicklin LLP has appointed three new partners – two from external sources, and one internal promotion – as it steps up its growth drive. Paul Draper, formerly a partner at Tenon, former Campbell Woolley partner Graham Travis, and Brian Bradley, an existing director who has been working at the practice since 1987, have all been appointed partners only months after the company moved from Hazel Grove to the Cheadle Royal Business Park. Paul Draper, who has joined the...

Office Move We're on the move! The Clarke Nicklin Group will make a new start this New Year as the team relocates from Hazel Grove to a prestigious new development at Cheadle Royal Business Park. The new building, developed by Muse Developments, is synonymous with the company’s fresh culture and ethos and reflects the Group’s plans to extend its presence in the region, and become more accessible for clients. It will also help accommodate the rapid growth through which the business has gone,...

Surprise Supervisor Of The Year Award Clarke Nicklin has picked up another award this month as office manager Margaret Meynell received the Supervisor of the Year award presented by Damar Training. The body, which provides business skills training, recognised Margaret’s support at the accountancy practice, and presented her with the surprise award after she was nominated by representatives from Damar. The award came as part of a wider NVQ presentation ceremony in which two members of...

Another award for Clarke Nicklin South Manchester based accountants Clarke Nicklin have picked up another award this month as office manager Margaret Meynell received the Supervisor of the Year award from Damar Training. The body, which provides business skills training, recognised Margaret's support at the accountancy practice, and presented her with the surprise award after she was nominated by representatives from Damar. The award came as part of a wider NVQ presentation ceremony in which...

Riding for the disabled donationCelebrating 20 years of Success Enabling people to achieve their dreams and fulfil their potential. Each year, the firm raises money for a nominated charity. Partner Steve Humphries made a special trip to donate £1,200 to the local Riding for the Disabled school. Based in Poynton this charity gives children opportunities that they would not otherwise have. Firstly "higher" views of the world as many are in wheelchairs, or using a walking frame. Children with...

Further achievements Qualified Financial Advisor Jon Nield continues to the next stage of his Diploma in Financial Planning recently passing CF2 (Certificate in Financial Planning) on Investment and Risk and HR1 (part of the Equity Release qualification). Receptionists Anna Litherland has passed NVQ Level 3 and Chelsea Mather NVQ Level 2, both in Business Administration.

Exam success We have had further exam success throughout the group this quarter. Mortgage Advisor Jon Nield is now a fully qualified Independent Financial Advisor. Accounting Technician Kerry Hinks has passed both of her ACA Taxation and Financial reporting exams. Trainee Accountant Claire Challinor has passed the first three stages of AAT, completing Business Tax, Personal Tax and Drafting Financial statements. Marketing Manager Julie Etchells has completed and passed the first three modules...

CLARKE NICKLIN SCOOPS ANOTHER NATIONAL AWARD Clarke Nicklin has received a second consecutive award from the 2020 Innovation Group. Having scooped the accolade of 'Most Innovative Firm' at the 2007 awards, Clarke Nicklin partner Andrew Baggott has been recognised as 'Business Consultant of the Year 2008', reinforcing his commitment to advising and assisting the firm’s vast client portfolio. Speaking after the event Andrew said: "All of the Clarke Nicklin team are thrilled with this award. Even...

Founder partner retires Andrew Robinson has retired as partner, but is retained as a consultant of the firm. Andrew founded the firm along with Graham Clarke (who is still active within the company) in 1987. He plans to keep busy by playing lots more golf, taking well deserved holidays and continuing to run the small family property business. Andrew comments "When Graham and I merged our practices 20 years ago neither of us really knew how it would work out. It turned out better than expected....

Celebrating 20 years of Success We are delighted to announce the promotion of Paul Mellor from Head of Business Advisory to Director. Paul joined the firm four years ago as an Accounts Manager, and has been rewarded for his part in helping the firm double in size. His willingness to train staff assisted the firm in becoming an ACA training office last year. Three ACA trainees are now employed within the practice and, in addition to his other duties, Paul has overall responsibility for their...

Seminar Success Strategic Planning, increasing wealth and reducing stress, is a topic that Brian Bradley is passionate about. He jumped at the opportunity to present at a Business Innovation Seminar recently, organised by GM Commerce. Aimed at SME's and Entrepreneurs, he discussed the benefits of developing plans and thinking strategically about the future of your business.

Goodbye Dot A fond farewell to Dorothy Hester who retired mid January on her 60th birthday after 7½ years a Tax Senior. Dot says "More than anything I will miss the team, I have met some great characters over the years and will take away plenty of memories. However, I am looking forward to being a house wife for the first time ever!"

Further Exam Success Congratulations to Catherine Holland and Kerry Hinks who have both passed their finals. Catherine is now a fully qualified Chartered Accountant and Kerry an Accounting Technician, she will now study via the fast-track route to become a Chartered Accountant. Bryan Jackson has passed his recent CIMA exam and will continue onto the next stage.

Clarke Nicklin wins prestigious award We are proud to announce that we have won the 2020 award for being the 'Most Innovative Firm' with five or more partners. Sir Geoff Hurst MBE presented the award to partners Steve Humphries and Andrew Baggott at a gala dinner at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole. The 2020 Membership Group is an organisation that assists progressive accountancy firms in providing a superior service for their clients. The group has more than 1,300 members ranging from sole...

Celebrating 20 years of Success Congratulations to local Chartered Accountants Clarke Nicklin who this June celebrated their 20th Anniversary. One hundred and eighty clients and business acquaintances joined the partners and staff for a Casino night at The Alma Lodge Hotel. The event was a great success and continued into the early hours!Formed in 1987, when W. Nicklin & Co and Wilson, Martin, Clarke & Co merged. Current partners Andrew Robinson and Graham Clarke were the owners of the founder...

Clarke Nicklin raise more for local MS Society Local Chartered Accountants Clarke Nicklin has raised even more for the Stockport based branch of Multiple Sclerosis. Marketing Manager Julie Etchells competed in the Nantwich triathlon on 3 June to raise £315 through sponsorship. This was boosted a further £40 by her partner Pete Tunstall competing in the same event. It consists of a 500m swim, 20k bike ride finishing with a 5k run. She is delighted by her time of 1.34.09! Julie comments "The run was...

New Marketing Appointment We would like to welcome on board our new Marketing Manager Julie Etchells. Julie was formerly Sales and Events Manager at Edgeley Park Conference and Banqueting Centre (Home of Stockport County and Sale Sharks) and is very much looking forward to the new challenge ahead. When asked why she came to Clarke Nicklin, Julie responded "I had been with my previous company for 4 years and wanted to develop my skills and focus purely on Marketing. In the short period I have...

Internal Promotions at Clarke Nicklin Brian Bradley has been promoted from Corporate Advisory Manager to Director. Brian has been with the firm for 19 years and is responsible for heading up the Strategic Planning Department which covers Business Consultancy and Business Coaching. The firm now has five specialist departments covering Corporate & Business Advisory services, Strategic Taxation, Payroll Bureau services, Corporate Finance and Strategic Planning. Paul Mellor has also been promoted,...

Multiple Sclerosis Stockport amp;amp; District Branch receive surprise donation The Stockport branch of The MS Society had a very pleasant surprise when two representatives from Clarke Nicklin, an Independent local firm of Chartered Accountants came to present a cheque at their AGM on 17th February 2007. Clarke Nicklin's payroll manager Michelle Middlemas, who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis six years ago, handed the cheque for £524.35 to newly appointed chairman David Williams. David...

GIRL POWER AT CLARKE NICKLIN! It was a day of celebration recently on the arrival of the exam results. All five of the girls passed with flying colours. Over the last few months they have been studying extremely hard for such an outstanding achievement. Steve Humphries, partner at Clarke Nicklin said "We are obviously delighted with the results, the girls have excelled themselves. We encourage our staff in everyway possible to develop their skills for the benefit of themselves, the firm and...