TWO NORFOLK ACCOUNTANCY TRAINEES CARRY OFF AWARDS IN PROFESSIONAL EXAMS ORDER OF MERIT

An East Anglia-based chartered accountancy firm has cemented its national reputation for training and development, after two of its staff members came first and fifth in the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England Wales (ICAEW) Professional Stage ACA exams annual Order of Merit across the whole of East Anglia.

Auditor Chloe Whitwood and healthcare accountancy specialist Catherine Weston took first and fifth place respectively in the exams, which are the penultimate stage of the path to ACA (Chartered Accountant) status.

Chloe Whitwood joined Lovewell Blake in early 2020 from another accountancy firm, following the completion of a degree in Accountancy and Finance at the University of East Anglia.  Originally from Warwickshire, she is based at the firm’s Norwich office where she specialises in audit.

Catherine Weston joined Lovewell Blake in 2019 after completing an apprenticeship in Finance at Broadland District Council.  She grew up in Hemsby, and is based at the firm’s Great Yarmouth office, where she specialises in providing accountancy services for dentists as part of Lovewell Blake’s specialist Healthcare team.

Lovewell Blake senior partner Mark Proctor said, “This is a great achievement by Chloe and Catherine to top the table for all of the candidates taking their Professional Stage ACA exams in 2020.

“Lovewell Blake has a national reputation for our training programmes, and we work very hard to support all our staff to develop from the moment they set out in accountancy right through their careers.”

The firm’s training programmes were recognised in 2020 when Lovewell Blake was once again named in the national Top 100 Employers for School and College Leavers in the School Leaver Awards – being named in the Top Ten employers nationally in the Accounting and Professional Services sector.  The 2021 list will be published next month.