Putting the spotlight on Calderdale’s top charities

Chartered Accountants, Riley and Co has announced its ongoing commitment to sponsor our Charity of the Year category. The Halifax firm has pledged its continued support to local charities through sponsorship for the seventh consecutive year.

In previous years, Riley and Co has invited shortlisted charity representatives as its guests to the awards ceremony.

The 2014 Charity of the Year winner was Women Centre Calderdale and Kirklees, a successful local charity and this year celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Riley and Co’s Director for Charities, Vicky Atkinson, said: “It has been our pleasure to invite the previous winners of this particular category as our guests. We have a large number of charity clients so this is an important sector for us to give something back.”

In 2007 Riley and Co established a dedicated charity department – now managing over 40 charity accounts within Calderdale and throughout Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Charity Accounts Manager, Sarah Crawford, who holds an ICAEW Diploma in Charity, is very active in the voluntary sec- From the left, Ann Dower, Karen Arnold, Freda Davis and Caroline Burton from last year’s charity of the year Women Centre, sponsor Sarah Crawford from Riley and Co, and host Clare Frisby tor as a trustee of Voluntary Action Calderdale and treasurer of Halifax and Calderdale Samaritans, which give her a clear insight into the latest difficulties and issues currently felt by charities.

“We work closely with all our charity clients to provide help, guidance and support, not just at the year-end for their annual accounts, but throughout the year as issues arise, enabling them to concentrate on providing their much needed services and activities with the community.” she said.

In providing year-round support to local charities, Riley and Co publishes a quarterly newsletter for its charity clients to keep them informed to any changes to charity law and regulation as well as providing training and ad hoc advice.