£150,000 fundraising seals a remarkable centenary year for leading accountancy firm

Leading professional services firm, Bishop Fleming has rounded off its centenary year by raising a remarkable £150,000 for charity.

The grand total was revealed by Strictly Come Dancing star, Anton Du Beke who hosted a fabulous Great Gatsby-themed centenary event in December to bring the firm’s activities to a close.

The firm, which delivers audit, assurance, tax and advisory services, celebrated 100-years in business throughout 2019 and the fundraising was at the heart of a firmwide centenary campaign.

Launched last January, BF100: It’s what we bring together that sets us apart brought its clients, people and regional communities together through various, projects, events and fundraising activities.

Starting with a full rebrand, the firm would go on to launch a new ambition – to be recognised as the most rewarding accountancy firm in the UK, for our clients, people and communities, underpinned by a new set of values that would reflect this ambition.

Having originally pledged to use its centenary to raise £100,000, the firm smashed its target halfway through the year, with over 115 fundraising activities generating nearly 3,000 donations, benefiting over 60 different charities across the UK.

 Ian Smith, Chair said: “Our people have raised an incredible amount of money for a wide range of charities personal to them. But what has been most rewarding is the way that these activities have brought our people and clients to work together. It has been a fantastic 12 months for our business that we will look back on with great pride.”

 Spearheading the fundraising campaign was Bishop Fleming’s title partnership of the Bath Half Marathon earlier in the year, entering over 120 staff and clients that would become the largest corporate team entry in the history of the race, raising over £30,000 in the process. So successful was the event, that it will repeat the partnership in 2020. Other mass participation activities included a team of 30 who endured the National Three Peaks challenge raising over £25,000 and a further £10,000 was raised by a team that walked 100- miles from Wales to its Worcester office in four days in the summer. A range of individual challenges were also completed such as skydiving, a 100k Ultra-Marathon, 5,000 push-ups in 12-hours and a head shave for Macmillan Cancer.

 The firm has used the centenary to launch many new projects including a Launchpad school leaver apprentice programme that has helped the firm enjoy record levels of recruitment in 2019.

 In July, the firm moved its founding Torquay office to a fabulous new office space and in December announced that it would be moving its Bristol office to a new flagship office in 2020 too.

Throughout the year the firm hosted some fabulous client events including centenary dinners at Exeter and Worcester Cathedrals.

Andrew Sandiford, Managing Partner said: “Our centenary is proof that our 100-year milestone was much more than just a birthday. We were determined to use our centenary not to look backwards but to position our business for the future and we have already made some major strides forward in achieving our ambition. Our centenary activities are proof that great relationships deliver remarkable results.”

The firm ended its centenary on another high by being crowned National Business of the Year at the British Chamber of Commerce Awards as well as being ranked as one of The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For.