To mark National Apprenticeship Week 2025, I thought it a good time to take a step back and reflect on the last year and a half, what I have learnt and how I have grown both as a professional and as a person.

I am currently approaching the half way point of my ACA qualification which is a globally recognised qualification consisting of 15 exams, practical work experience, ethics and professional skills leading to becoming an ICAEW Chartered Accountant. Studying towards the ACA qualification is providing a strong basis in technical knowledge, however completing this as part of the level 7 apprenticeship programme has also allowed me the opportunity to focus on the development of a range of other key skills, which will help me progress in my career and personal growth.

At Godfrey Wilson, we are supported by a team of fantastic colleagues many of whom are currently studying or have recently completed the same programme, and so are able to provide valuable support and guidance at all points along the way. We also benefit from tuition and support from training provider, First Intuition, who not only provide high quality tuition towards the ACA exams but also learning and development support, and a range of professional skills days to aid our development of key skills such as leadership, problem solving and decision making, and communication, all of which are vital to becoming a well rounded finance professional.

The theme of National Apprenticeship week 2025 is ‘Skills for Life’ – it is undeniable the apprenticeship is not just equipping me with job-specific skills but also helping me to navigate both personal and professional challenges with confidence and capability.  

Three areas that stand out for me in terms of my development over the past 18 months are:

Confidence and Self-Belief  – These skills permeate all areas of life, the responsibility given to us as apprentices from early on naturally builds confidence as we prove to ourselves and others that we can handle these challenges and succeed.

Self-Discipline and Accountability – Managing both work and study at the same time demands a high degree of self-discipline. Apprentices are held accountable not only to their employers but also to their own learning and development.Holding oneself accountable helps in building personal integrity, keeping promises, and taking ownership of decisions.

Resilience and Adaptability – Unexpected issues, setbacks and difficult projects are inevitable; the apprenticeship helps us learn how to recover from setbacks and adapt our approach dynamically as situations change.

In short, the apprenticeship programme has exceeded all of my expectations in terms of the breadth and depth of my learning and development and I look forward to seeing how I continue to learn and grow over the remainder of the scheme and into the future.

Godfrey Wilson runs apprenticeships in accounting (AAT & ACCA), audit (ACA) and payroll. If Jo’s story has inspired you, please get in touch to find out more about our apprenticeship opportunities or check out our vacancies page: https://godfreywilsonlimited.livevacancies.co.uk

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👋 Meet Will.

Will is one of our Level 7 Accountancy apprentices. He is working towards his ICAEW ACA qualification. He is in his 3rd year of the apprenticeship having started his training contract in September 2021. We interviewed Will as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2024 to hear his thoughts on training as an auditor at Godfrey Wilson.

Why a career in accountancy?

After my degree in Biology, I was unsure of which career direction to take. I had friends who had started ACA training contracts, and after discussions with them I realised that a finance role might be a good fit for me. I had adaptable skills and an eagerness to learn. Taking on a level 7 apprenticeship towards my ACA qualification seemed like a great next step.

Why Godfrey Wilson?

I spent a long time researching the different training providers in Bristol – a mix of ‘The Big 4’ and corporate firms. I knew the ACA was the right choice but none of the firms really resonated with me. That was until I came across Godfrey Wilson. The team looked friendly and the culture inviting, with a number of perks not found with other training providers. The flexi-time 35 hour week and focus on charities really stood out to me. I wanted a role that was rewarding and helped me contribute to my community in Bristol. Auditing and advising charities really ticked this box. The initial interview confirmed my thoughts about the friendly nature of the firm, and I was set on getting the role here!

What’s the apprenticeship like?

The apprenticeship is hard work at times, but it’s definitely worth it. There are 15 exams to pass over 3 years, with regular college courses to work towards these. In between the courses we attend skills days, run by our training provider, to improve our real-world skills. Alongside the number-crunching, the skills days teach soft skills, developing our communication, critical thinking and business acumen. I’ve found these courses really help in the workplace, giving me confidence to tackle complex challenges and develop strong client relationships.

It can be tricky to juggle study alongside the day job, but I’ve found the team at Godfrey Wilson make this as easy as possible. We are given periods of study leave to attend college courses and we have an individual exam pathway which is tailored to us. When generating my pathway we realised my wedding clashed with an exam sitting, so my pathway was swiftly updated! In addition to this we have regular calls with our tutors at college to review progress. This structure helps make the apprenticeship manageable.

What would you say to any aspiring auditors?

When looking at graduate ACA training contracts, I had no idea that you could do it through the apprentice route. It’s both rewarding and challenging, but I’ve found the Level 7 Apprenticeship has been a great way to start my career as an auditor. Despite not starting out in a finance background, the apprenticeship has taught me the skills required to succeed in the role and I’ve never looked back. Keep an eye out for our September intake as it’ll be the best decision you’ll make!

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Training the next generation of accountants is a key part of what we do at Godfrey Wilson. As a values-driven firm working primarily in the charity sector, putting people above profit is central to our work. Not just in terms of service to clients, but also through our investment in our staff team.

More than 50% of our team are currently studying for professional accounting and payroll qualifications, including AAT, ACCA, ACA, and CIPP, and the vast majority of these are on apprenticeships. We are proud to provide a friendly, supportive and stimulating environment for people to learn and develop.

Why choose an apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are a great way of gaining professional qualifications alongside real-life work experience. But it’s the wraparound support and development that makes apprenticeships so valuable. Alongside the technical curriculum, apprentices are taught “skills and behaviours” via interactive skills days covering the so-called softer skills of leadership, time management and problem-solving. They also have regular progress reviews with their Skills Coach enabling them to reflect on their development and set ambitious objectives for future learning. Mental health, wellbeing and safeguarding are also high on the agenda, ensuring apprentices achieve a healthy work-life balance throughout their apprenticeships.

Learn with First Intuition

At Godfrey Wilson, we work with First Intuition as our Training Provider. Working with FI feels like a true
partnership. They manage to balance the needs of the employer and the apprentice within the complex government apprenticeship framework. The teaching and wraparound support is second to none. This partnership means that, together, we are producing some very fine accountants who will be an asset to
the profession and (we hope) go on to train another generation of accountants to follow them!

Career opportunities

Godfrey Wilson has been a training employer since 2012 and we’re really proud of all the accountants, auditors and payroll specialists who learnt the ropes here with us. Many have gone out into the wider world of work to use their skills and make an impact, and it’s a pleasure to watch them flourish. Others have stayed with us, and we were particularly proud to promote former GW trainees, Guy Blake and Josh Turner, to Director roles earlier this year. This not only demonstrates our commitment to the development of our staff, but also the huge career potential that embarking on an apprenticeship can bring.

Join the team

We typically recruit 4 audit apprentices (ACA) and 2 accounting apprentices (AAT/ACCA) each year. No experience is necessary and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds – from school leavers, to graduates, to career-changers. Apprenticeships normally start in September but we also have ad hoc vacancies throughout the year. If you’re interested in learning more about apprenticeships at Godfrey Wilson, please contact us via hello@godfreywilson.co.uk or check out our vacancies page.

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Guy Blake has been promoted to Audit Director and will join Alison Godfrey in leading the Audit and Assurance team at Godfrey Wilson. Guy has spent over 10 years with the firm, building a reputation as an expert in charity accounting and tax. He will be managing a varied portfolio of charity clients, overseeing the audit process and advising on issues such as reserves policies, SORP, trading subsidiaries, VAT and corporation tax reliefs. He works with a wide range of charities, but has particular expertise in creative/arts charities and grant-making trusts.

Josh Turner has been appointed as Accounts Director and will lead the accounting and bookkeeping team, alongside Rob Wilson. Josh joined the firm in 2016 and has been instrumental in the growth of the firm’s outsourced business services. He will be working with a varied portfolio of charity and commercial clients, overseeing end-to-end accounting solutions.

Alison Godfrey, Senior Director at Godfrey Wilson, says “We have enjoyed a sustained period of growth in recent years and are delighted to welcome Guy and Josh to bolster the Senior Leadership Team. We are passionate about investing in our staff and providing them with the tools, experience and opportunities to progress their careers. Both Guy and Josh joined the firm as trainee chartered accountants which is testament to this. It is an exciting time – at the end of 2023 we were ranked as one of the UK’s leading charity audit firms. Rob and I look forward to working with Guy and Josh to build on our success in 2024!”

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We also said a very fond farewell to Laura Richards at the end of December. Laura had worked at Godfrey Wilson for over 10 years, having started her career as a trainee and progressed to audit manager. Laura moves to UK Community Foundations in January and we wish her all the best for the next chapter.

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Alice Yevko – Audit Senior, Godfrey Wilson

The Harbour is a small Bristol-based charity working to provide expert counselling sessions for people in Bristol facing death, dying and bereavement.

Grief can be a scary and isolating experience, and our role is to provide a space safe for people to explore these often-complex feelings through a team of professional therapists.

I have been a trustee of The Harbour since July 2023. I am the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance and HR Committee. My main responsibility is to enhance our understanding of how the charity uses resources, human and financial, and empower decision-making through financial confidence. I have supported the Chair in establishing governance sub-committees, worked alongside the CEO to fine-tune management reports, and will be providing finance training to the board and team.

I would recommend volunteering on a charity board to anyone – everyone has unique skills to bring to the table. It’s a real privilege to use my experience as a qualified accountant to help the charity provide a professional service in an area close to my heart. In turn, I have learned so much from the charity’s staff and fellow board members, and gained invaluable knowledge about the operational and strategic realities of running a charity that I bring back to my day job as an Audit Senior and which I draw on in the service I provide my own clients.

#TrusteesWeek @TrusteesWeek

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Alison Godfrey – Director, Godfrey Wilson

St Peter’s Hospice is a charity that provides care and support to adults who are living with a progressive life-limiting illness in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

People often think of hospices as the place people go to die, but a hospice is so much more than this. The majority of our care is carried out in the community, in people’s homes. We support people with a wide range of conditions and take a holistic approach to care: looking after patients and their loved ones physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually. Our aim is to support people to live well until the end of their life.

I have been a Trustee of St Peter’s Hospice for almost 2 years. I am the charity’s Treasurer, and I also chair the Resources Committee and the Audit Committee. I also work closely with the Finance Director, having monthly 1:1s to provide support and a sounding board for issues and ideas. During my time as Trustee, I have helped to shape the charity’s reserves policy, fine tune its strategic aims and develop a 5 year financial plan. I have also assisted with recruitment of senior leadership posts and liaised with the external auditors.

It has been a privilege to work alongside such a dedicated board of trustees and a talented Executive Team. I have learnt a huge amount from my colleagues at the hospice. In my day job as an Audit Director, I regularly deal with charity trustees, and being a trustee myself has given me a different perspective and the ability to understand the experience from the other side of the table!

Ultimately, I find it really rewarding that my skills and expertise are helping to support such amazing work and would recommend becoming a trustee to anyone.

#TrusteesWeek @TrusteesWeek

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Jennie Dickinson – Audit Senior, Godfrey Wilson

For-Ethiopia is a small charity based in Bristol. We work in partnership with communities in rural areas of Ethiopia, supporting schools, health centres, community water projects. Our approach is truly participatory – we listen to what the local community identifies as their needs and we work with them to achieve their goals. One of our major projects is supporting girls from rural areas to meet their potential through provision of educational opportunity via our Underhill Scholarships Scheme.

I joined the charity as a trustee in July 2023. The charity is entering its 20th year, and it has been an exciting time to join. Two major building projects are near completion, including a training centre and two brand new classrooms for disabled pupils at the local school.

It’s very much a “kitchen table charity” with a large part of the UK-based work taking place at the monthly trustee meetings, which gives an incredible sense of involvement in the work being delivered and the impact it creates.

As Treasurer, I hope to support the charity by providing greater insight into our performance against objectives and to give greater clarity on the financial position and what we can commit to as we make plans for the years ahead.

My day job involves auditing charities and reporting the audit findings back to trustee boards. It has been really useful to gain experience as a trustee because it gives me greater insight into the governance side of charities, and offers a different perspective for my audit work.

#TrusteesWeek @TrusteesWeek

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Laura Richards – Audit Manager, Godfrey Wilson

I have volunteered with Hope For Life Katanga (HfL) for over 7 years, first as a finance volunteer and then joining the Board as Treasurer in 2016. HfL works to improve the lives of families living in the Katanga community in Kampala, Uganda. The charity supports the whole family to become self-sufficient, providing education, vocational training, emergency support and healthcare.

My role as Treasurer involves overseeing the finances and record-keeping – making sure donations raised in the UK go to where they are needed. I have been involved in lots of projects, including migrating the finance system to cloud-based software. This has improved access to information for fellow trustees and the staff team in Uganda.

Over the last year I have had the pleasure of training one of our Ugandan staff to use this system. This gives the local team much more control and oversight of their available funds and a better understanding of what reporting we need to do here in the UK.

It has been hugely rewarding to upskill our staff to do more. It is incredible how sharing your knowledge can empower others – even just an hour of your time can make such a difference! Being a trustee has also been really useful for my role as Audit Manager. I have a much better understanding of the strategic and operational context of running a charity, and this definitely enhanced the service I provide to my clients.

I would, and do, recommend others to take on a volunteering or trustee role, your skills are so valuable!

#TrusteesWeek @TrusteesWeek

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