The plaque is located at the former site of the Clarence Hotel in Piccadilly, marking where the twelve founding members of Manchester Society of Chartered Accountants (now ICAEW Manchester) first met on 16 February 1871.
A special celebration
One hundred and fifty-one years later, ICAEW Deputy President, Julia Penny; ICAEW Manchester President, Jon Scopes and guests gathered where the hotel once stood to commemorate the occasion. The plaque was unveiled by Paul Whitney, ICAEW member and Managing Director of Stockport based accountancy firm, Hallidays. Hallidays have a prominent place in the history of ICAEW Manchester; James Halliday (a Partner in the firm in the 1800s), was one of the twelve founding members who attended that first meeting of the society.
Paul said: “I am pleased to have been invited to help celebrate this very special anniversary. There is a long and enduring relationship between Hallidays and ICAEW Manchester. I did my ACA training with Hallidays, and I’m proud to say that we’re still training the ICAEW Accountants of the future”.
Our place in history…
That historic meeting of 1871 helped shape not just the future of the profession in and around Manchester, but also on a wider scale. The Manchester Society was only the third such society for accountants to be founded in the UK, and it was also one of the five founding societies of ICAEW.
As ICAEW Manchester President, Jon Scopes says: “As one of the five founding societies of ICAEW, ICAEW Manchester members have been at the forefront of the profession since the nineteenth century. I am delighted that we have been able to commemorate the anniversary in this way.”
Look to the future
Then, as now, the ICAEW Manchester focussed on three enduring themes – education, community and leadership. Today we embody these values in numerous ways, such as supporting students at university and beyond; the voluntary work carried out by our members, many of whom share their professional expertise to help those who would not otherwise be able to access advice; and the prominent positions that many of our members hold within the business community.