Not-for-profit organisation

Deborah is an extremely knowledgeable accountant, having joined Wenn Townsend in 1980 and become Partner in 1989. She particularly loves working with schools, colleges and university partnerships, and with families in the agricultural world or with landed estates, getting hands-on with the practical problems they face. Deborah recently set up and ran an estate management reporting system to control a development/farming/property letting/woodland/leisure business; while in another case she rationalised monthly systems for a university partnership including payroll, pensions, budget preparation and reporting to the Charity Commission. Outside of work Deborah enjoys skiing, walking and cottage gardening.

Tony is a hugely experienced accountant, having joined Wenn Townsend in 1987 and become Partner in 1997. His expertise covers succession planning and reorganisation, and advising owner-managed businesses. Tony is deeply knowledgeable about regulations surrounding UK subsidiaries of overseas holding companies, food manufacturing, property and building, e-sales, and leisure. Recently he was able to help with the management buyout of a company where two owner-directors were retiring, and the incoming director was not able to secure necessary finance. As well as his role at Wenn Townsend Tony writes for the The Parliamentary Review, is an Ambassador for B4 Magazine, contributor to Radio Oxford, and representative for Oxfordshire Voice and ROX. Tony is a passionate (but retired) cricketer, as well as a golfer and rugby fan. He enjoys films, loves his dogs and is a ‘reluctant’ gardener.

Graham Cole is one of the linchpins of Wenn Townsend, having joined us in 1991 and become Partner in 1997. With a huge wealth of knowledge, he particularly enjoys advising on accounting and financial issues for endowed charities, charities funded by grants or donations, religious charities, and national membership organisations. His advice on financial issues including succession planning is highly trusted by companies in the computer, retail, construction and manufacturing sectors, and by Community Interest Companies. Recently he advised a charity on aspects of a serious reporting issue to the Charity Commission, and in another case investigated the accounting systems and processes in relation to a dispute within a group of charities. As well as being an eminent accountant Graham is a keen Aston Villa/Oxford Utd football fan, a Worcestershire cricket fan, and a keen chess player.

Ajay joined us in 1990 and was made Partner in 2003, becoming a highly trusted member of our team. He particularly enjoys advising the not-for-profit sector including education and health charities, as well as assisting corporate manufacturing entities with overseas operations, overseeing audits of non-UK companies, and dealing with complex UK GAAP and International Financial Reporting issues. He recently completed the successful VAT registration for an exporter after 18 months of negotiations with HMRC, the client now receiving six-figure monthly VAT refunds. Ajay is a lapsed sportsman, keen sports viewer and Liverpool FC fan. He is also a Trustee of The Karta Initiative, a charity helping Indian students from poor rural backgrounds attend world-leading universities.

Lee is a deeply knowledgeable accountancy expert, who joined us back in 2005 and became one of our Partners in 2014. Whilst his expertise is wide ranging, his particular professional interests lie in advising travel companies and arts organisations such as theatres and museums, specialising in preparation of accounts and audits, and creative industry tax reclaim. Lee is also an IT specialist, helping clients to design bespoke reporting packages to automate preparation of management accounts. Recently he completed the transition of a theatre company's bookkeeping system from Sage to Xero, integrating their ticketing system with Xero to enable correct revenue recognition and seamless reconciliation of all payment types. In his free time, Lee enjoys theatre, sport and fantasy football.

Head of our Cirencester practice, Ruth joined Wenn Townsend in 1998 and became Partner in 2005. As an experienced and highly trusted accountant, she looks after a variety of sectors from farming to charities and carries out a number of charity independent examinations and audits. She takes pride in ensuring clients meet their filing deadlines, and always makes herself available to help clients with matters including the preparation of tax returns, sole trader accounts, partnerships, charities and companies. Amongst recent work Ruth assisted the directors of one company in valuing their company to enable them to consider selling their shares thereby ensuring the continuation of the company. Beyond her work, Ruth is a keen road cyclist and enjoys walking in the British countryside.

Stuart joined our team in 1992 and was made Partner in 2002. An expert in his field, he enjoys working across a broad range of sectors and clients, including family businesses, start-ups, charities and personal tax clients. He is highly skilled at computerising clients' accounting systems (notably Sage and Xero) and overseeing clients’ IT requirements. Stuart recently took over a healthcare client, assisting with their monthly management accounts and reporting to an overseas group, filing monthly VAT returns, statutory accounts, corporation tax and R&D claims. Outside the office Stuart enjoys skiing, walking, cycling, kayaking, touring holidays in the family motorhome, watching motorsports, and being a closet Arsenal supporter.

Ben joined us in 2002 and oversees much of our work as our unflappable Director of Audit. His experience covers a wide range of sectors including large corporate groups, owner managed companies, pension schemes, schools, colleges and charities. The bulk of his time is spent planning, managing and reviewing audit assignments, alongside setting up work for new audit clients and managing a portfolio of non-audit clients. Ben recently managed a large team working on a multinational group, with audit review visits across four separate countries, and high-level reporting to group audit committees. When he’s not working Ben enjoys playing and coaching football and cricket, is keen follower of US sports, and an active runner and reader.

Jane arrived at Wenn Townsend in 2009 to become one of our indispensable Managers. She spends much of her time planning and managing audits and leading teams on our larger clients, both corporate and not for profit, and specialises in system reviews and developments. Jane also works within the accounts department, managing her accounting and outsourcing clients, and she enjoys working on Xero, Sage and Quickbooks Online along with other more bespoke software. She recently managed a parent audit of a multinational group and its significant industrial subsidiary, reviewing consolidated accounts under IFRS and suggesting detailed systems improvements. Outside work, Jane enjoys cycling and hiking, landscape watercolour painting and crafts, and is treasurer of her children’s school PTA.

Arun has brought great enthusiasm and dedication to Wenn Townsend since joining us in 2014 and qualifying in 2018, and has proved an exceptional asset in managing audits for clients ranging from educational trusts, churches and theatres, to manufacturing, travel and catering. Arun particularly enjoys working with real estate and construction companies and running compliance audits, and is highly adept at IT accounting packages. He recently managed a successful remote audit during lockdown for a subsidiary of a larger overseas company, and implemented a highly efficient budgeting tool for an Oxfordshire-based charity’s CEO. Outside of work Arun enjoys football, has run the Oxford Half Marathon twice, and is an aspiring baker.

Gemma joined Wenn Townsend in 2016 and is a talented member of our Audit Management team, experienced in auditing a range of clients including charities, membership clubs, SMEs, AIM listed clients and groups. She gets satisfaction from learning about the different processes and software used by different entities and the varied knowledge and insight that this brings. Gemma sees audit not just as a statutory requirement, but as a way to help clients ensure their systems work in the most beneficial way possible. She recently led the audit of a group with overseas subsidiaries, dealing with foreign currencies and foreign accounting, and complex consolidation. In her spare time, Gemma enjoys going to the cinema and theatre, reading, travelling, and is a pub quiz enthusiast.

Michael joined our team in 2016 and has proved a vital asset as Audit Senior, working adeptly with clients across a variety of sectors including charities, schools, corporate manufacturing businesses and owner-managed entities. The majority of his time is spent working on statutory audits, but Michael also has significant experience working on accounts preparations and independent examinations. He recently completed a successful first-year audit of an Oxfordshire-based charity, working closely with management to understand their systems, how they were operating and how any audit risks arising could be addressed. Michael is a keen sportsman, enjoying playing and watching football, cricket and tennis, and is an active runner and cyclist.

As Accounts Manager, Joy has been a linchpin in Wenn Townsend’s operations since 2014. Her client portfolio includes small companies, charities, sole traders and partnerships from a wide range of industries. She excels at reviewing statutory accounts, bookkeeping, management accounts and VAT returns, as well as independent examinations for charities. Proficient in accounting software packages, she also has previous auditing experience. She recently assisted a new business by introducing bookkeeping processes and preparing VAT returns, providing VAT advice on the second-hand margin scheme and VAT filing requirements. Joy is a member of two local churches and enjoys cooking and watching tennis.

Capable and efficient accounts manager Laura has been part of our team since 2004, providing accounts support to a wide variety of clients, both corporate and individual, including assisting with year-end accounts, VAT work and ad hoc requests. She is proficient at Xero, QuickBooks and Sage accounting packages, and particularly enjoys helping clients who are not the most confident with their accounts - such as one recent company who were having difficulty moving their VAT returns on to a software package to meet digital tax requirements: they benefitted hugely from Laura’s expertise and patience. When not at work Laura enjoys drawing, writing, computer games, and board games.

Neil is a vital member of the Wenn Townsend team, overseeing and developing our IT systems and business operations to ensure the smoothest service for our clients. He joined us at the Oxford office in 1999 and qualified in 2005. He takes great professional interest in following developments in accounting software and relishes finding ways to tweak or adapt new systems to clients’ specific needs. With software becoming increasingly complex Neil also enjoys finding solutions to any areas with glitches - on finding recently one bookkeeping package unable to export a payment report in a format the client’s bank was able to process, he deftly created a system to transpose the reports and bridge the gap. Neil is a keen sportsman, with an interest in most sports, particularly mountain biking, and loves nothing more than trying out any new bits of technology he can get his hands on.

Having joined us in 2016, and qualified in 2020, Chloe is a member of our Accounts team, working on accounts preparation for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies and running monthly bookkeeping processes. With her accountancy knowledge Chloe combines this role with running the Wenn Townsend marketing, website and newsletter functions, as well as seeking to develop the firm to ensure all clients receive exceptional service. Outside the office Chloe enjoys being a mum, and when she has any time to herself gets stuck into interior design and DIY, cooking and gardening.

Emma joined us in 2018 and is proving a talented and dedicated trainee, swiftly picking up the skills of accounts preparation for limited companies, sole traders, partnerships and charities, and gaining experience auditing both charities and companies. She particularly enjoys getting stuck into any accounts job for a limited company with multiple interests (loans, HPs, capital projects). Emma recently prepared a cashflow for one client to assess whether they could afford to purchase plant and machinery before the year end, and has also been working closely with a large charity to provide accountancy services such as bank reconciliations, calculating depreciation and payroll. When not working Emma loves travelling and backpacking, or anything involving the outdoors.

Alison joined us in 2018 and is a diligent member of our bookkeeping and accounts team. She is adept at Xero and enjoys organising client records and bookkeeping data, allow them to focus on running their business. Recently Alison worked with a client to set up their bookkeeping systems from scratch, ensuring all back dated paperwork was processed to allow the client to move to a paperless system. When not at work Alison loves going to the theatre and taking part in line dancing and Zumba.

Keith joined us as an Audit Trainee in 2019 and is a talented apprentice gaining as much knowledge and experience as possible in our Audit department. He particularly enjoys being out on site with clients and mastering an array of systems and processes across a variety of sectors. Keith is a key member of the team, working alongside audit managers to set up accounts, working papers and VAT returns for a newly incorporated client. Keith is an Everton football fan and keen amateur footballer and golfer.

Kyle joined Wenn Townsend in 2019 and has proved himself an able asset to the team. He particularly enjoys Xero Cloud Accounting, engaging with a client about how they can best streamline processes and report on company performance. He enjoys advising clients in the hospitality sector, finding the work varied, engaging and challenging. Kyles main experience is in preparing accounts for both partnerships and limited companies, and assisting on audits of both limited companies and charities. When not working or studying Kyle turns his attention to video games, cooking, films, and supporting West Ham United.

Aaron joined Wenn Townsend in 2019 and is already proving an accomplished, valued asset to the Oxford office. A talented and enthusiastic learner, Aaron loves sinking his teeth into anything involving Excel, and has a real aptitude for navigating accounting software, recently designing a bespoke data handling package for a client to convert daily transactional exports from the client’s software into a single importable Xero file. Aaron also recently enjoyed working with Deloitte to internally audit processes at a Covid drive-through testing site, monitoring their production and inventory control procedures to ensure enough testing kits and PPE was available and testing kits were dispatched for processing efficiently. Outside of the office Aaron is a self-confessed music nerd playing guitar and piano and DJ-ing in Oxford.

Adam began his training with us in 2019 and is an enthusiastic member of the team, throwing himself into developing both his practical and academic experience. He enjoys all aspects of his role, relishing the variety of preparing accounts for partnerships and limited companies, assisting on audits for limited companies and charities and bookkeeping and VAT returns for existing clients. He particularly loves meeting with clients and being able to build a relationship with them. When he’s not studying or working Adam enjoys reading, going to the cinema, and running.

Andrew has been a highly trusted and dependable part of Wenn Townsend since 1988, managing over 160 client payrolls from 1 to 500 plus employees. He takes great pride in providing clients with everything from full bureau service to ad hoc advice on benefits-in-kind, year-end procedures and HMRC compliance visits. His specialist expertise covers final salary pension schemes and a variety of auto-enrolment schemes. He is vastly experienced in assisting clients with all staff pay issues including tax-efficient remuneration packages and termination payments, and he also enjoys looking after a varied portfolio of private tax clients. Andrew also acts as Trustee, Executor and Power of Attorney to a number of our clients. Outside of work Andrew can be found either in the Frewen Club where he is an active member and assistant Treasurer, or at his cottage in North Norfolk.

Marilyn has been a trusted member of our Payroll team since 2016, previously certified as a Practitioner in Payroll Management and experienced in running payroll for a huge variety of clients and sectors. She genuinely loves dealing with different pension schemes and understanding their varying regulations, and liaising with HMRC on payroll matters. Marilyn takes great pride in meeting strict deadlines, and enjoys getting to know clients and their individual needs. She excels when dealing with irregularities in payroll, including when dealing with the impact of Coronavirus and the rules and regulations regarding furlough for our clients. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time on travel, restaurants, theatre and jigsaws.

Jasmine became an invaluable member of our Payroll team in 2019. Having completed her CIPP Foundation Degree Year 2, she continues to provide support processing a whole variety of payrolls ranging from one-man bands to companies of over 500 employees. She is confident liaising with HMRC and many different pension schemes to ensure all information is updated and accurate, and gets great satisfaction from setting up PAYE schemes and implementing new payrolls on software such as Pegasus, Earnie, Star and Basic PAYE tools. More recently, Jasmine has played a significant role in helping clients with their Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme claims. When she is not working or studying, Jasmine enjoys reading, baking, and travelling, and is a dedicated Gloucester Rugby supporter.

Holly joined our Oxford office in 2019 and is a much valued member of the team and has recently completed her Level 4 AAT qualification. She is proficient in processing all aspects of payroll including sick pay, statutory payments, and pensions using a variety of software, including Pegasus Opera, Xero, Sage, and HMRC Basic Tools. She ably completes CIS returns each month, and executes manual accounting jobs and basic tax returns. She excelled whilst gaining new experience processing furlough payments in line with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. When she’s not working or studying Holly enjoys cooking and eating out, horse riding, and walking her dog in the countryside.