Inspiration awards

Students who have overcome significant barriers to study for the ACA are an inspiring example to others. Winners of the new ICAEW Foundation and CABA Inspiration Awards show that there’s little to stop you if you really want to achieve.

Rewarding excellence was one of key aims of the ICAEW Foundation when it was first launched in 2007. Not only did it want to increase the range and size of prizes for exam performance, it also wanted to establish new awards in non-academic fields.

As Cobra Beer CEO Lord Karan Bilimoria explained at the time, “The purpose of awards is not just to reward the winners, but more importantly to inspire others to succeed.”

The foundation joined together with CABA, the Chartered Accountants’ Benevolent Association, to sponsor the ICAEW Foundation and CABA Inspiration Awards. Launched earlier in 2009, the awards were designed to recognise ACA students worldwide who have demonstrated exceptional qualities in overcoming significant personal, social or financial adversity to maintain or complete their studies.

Nominations were sought around the world from a wide range of people including ICAEW members, students and staff, district societies, regional offices, practising firms and tutorial organisations. The original plan was to present one award with runners-up but the selection panel was so impressed with the outstanding qualities of the nominated candidates that they decided to make four equal awards this year.

The winners of the inaugural Inspiration Awards are:

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  • Sophie Campkin, a trainee at HW Fisher in London, who has battled against Hodgkin’s lymphoma which disrupted her training contract and exam schedule.
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  • Richard Cartwright of KPMG Southampton, who is continuing his contract despite a shallow water accident that left him paralysed from the shoulders down.
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  • Andy Cheng of Jiangsu Suyajincheng in Nanjing, China, who overcame crippling financial hardship and a language barrier to qualify as an ACA.
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  • Howard Taylor of PricewaterhouseCoopers in London, who will qualify in October 2009 despite being wheelchair bound and unable to write legibly.

The three UK-based winners were presented with their awards by ICAEW president David Furst and CABA chief executive Kath Haines at a lunch held in their honour at Chartered Accountants’ Hall on 19 May. Andy Cheng received his award from ICAEW chief executive Michael Izza earlier in the month at the ICAEW’s first ever graduation ceremony in China. All four received a cheque for £5,000, a certificate and an engraved glass trophy.

“Each of our award winners has overcome real adversity to pursue their ACA studies and their experiences offer a great inspiration to others contemplating a career in the profession,” Furst said. “Theirs is a fantastic story which brings to life both the aims of the foundation and the range of services that CABA has to offer.”

June 2009

Each winner has an inspiring story of how they overcame barriers to achievement: Sophie Campkin, Richard Cartwright, Andy Cheng, Howard Taylor.

Save or print the full pdf about the inspiration awards and the winners (PDF 247kb/3 pages).

To find out more about CABA visit http://caba.org.uk.

More information
Do you know an inspiring ACA student who has shown outstanding or exceptional qualities in overcoming significant personal, social or financial adversity to maintain or complete their studies? Why not contact the ICAEW Foundation for details of how to nominate them for the 2010 awards.

The foundation was launched in 2007 to provide today’s generation with the opportunity to shape the future of the accounting profession. It aims to provide funds for bursaries for disadvantaged students, new contemporary prizes and groundbreaking research, and to establish closer links with academia.

CABA has been supporting ACAs – both current and former – and their families who are experiencing difficulties since 1886. It offers a range of services from one-off advice to long-term practical, emotional and financial support. It has recently expended its remit to include ACA trainees.