Congratulations to two Saint & Co colleagues who have made great strides to becoming fully qualified accountants.
Ross Huck and Ben Cakebread, both aged 24, are based in our Ambleside office and have achieved part-qualified status in recognition of their continued progress.
They now have just three exams to pass as they work their way towards qualifying as Chartered Accountants later this year.
Ben is a part-qualified Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA). Originally from Essex, he moved to the Lake District with his girlfriend following his studies at Lancaster University, where he gained a degree in business management and finance. He is combining his work at Saint & Co with studying for his ACA qualification at Kaplan business school in Newcastle.
“I’m really close to the finish line,” said Ben. “I’ve completed 12 out of 15 exams. I have two more in July and I hope to have the final one finished by November.
“Saint & Co are really good with helping me balance work and study. They’re understanding if I need to take extra holiday in preparation for an exam. Several colleagues have gone through this process. They’re very helpful in relating my studies to the work we do here.”
Ben enjoys the variety his job brings and is hoping to be given more responsibility when he qualifies.
“If I was at a bigger firm I might just be in one team doing one job over and over again. Here, one day I’m doing tax returns, and at the moment I’m doing an audit. There’s bookkeeping, VAT returns. That keeps it interesting.
“At the Ambleside office we’re hoping to take on a few more trainees. When fully qualified, I can hopefully take on more of a leadership role and a bit more responsibility.”
Ross is part-qualified with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). He started his first apprenticeship at Saint & Co in 2017, just two weeks after completing his GCSEs, and has been studying for his ACCA qualification since 2023. He hopes to finish his exams in the next six months.
“It’s rewarding, but it’s tougher than any other studying I’ve had to do,” he said. “My mentor, David Dunlop, passed the ACCA exams a few years ago. He’s given me revision tips and practice questions. Everyone here is really encouraging.”
Saint & Co has offices across Cumbria in Carlisle, Penrith, Millom, Whitehaven, Ambleside, Cockermouth and Wigton. It also has bases in Dumfries and Galloway, at Annan, Castle Douglas and Dumfries.
