Simon has primary responsibility for managing the Newcastle office’s portfolio of Not for Profit and charity clients, heading up the Not for Profit team. Simon has been immersed in the third sector for more than 20 years and has built up extensive knowledge and experience, sitting on our national firm’s Not for Profit team. Simon is also involved with a number of charities, carrying out board and treasurer duties - so understands the risks trustees face.
Being a fully qualified Chartered Accountant since 1999, his substantial third sector experience has been recognised by the ICAEW, being awarded their charity qualification (DChA), which acknowledges the unique specialist knowledge required to properly advise charity clients. Simon is only one of a small number of professional advisors to have been awarded this qualification within the North East.
Simon works with a range of Not for Profit clients, including some of the very largest charitable organisations and groups in our region and has a very broad experience. He uses that experience for more than the statutory audit, delivering training to trustees, including to board members across the UK on behalf of larger national charities. Being a board member and treasurer himself, he has first hand experience of the issues affecting Not for Profit organisations and has moulded the firm’s audit approach accordingly so that trustees feel the benefit of an Azets charity audit.