Extended support also confirmed for financial education charity Money Ready July 2026: MSCA Legacy Limited, in partnership with the Chartered Accountants’ Livery Charity (CALC), has announced its latest round of nine awards for students at Greater Manchester’s three key universities.
Now in their sixth year, the David Illingworth Awards recognise excellence among undergraduate students of accounting and related subjects at Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Manchester’s Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) and the University of Salford.
The David Illingworth Awards were named in memory of the former ICAEW Manchester and ICAEW national president, and previous Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (WCCAEW), who passed away in 2022.
The number of awards made to students has increased from seven to nine in 2026, after more than doubling last year. The continued expansion of the programme has been enabled by a partnership entered into in 2024 between MSCA Legacy Limited and CALC, the charity linked to the WCCAEW.
The recipients of this year’s awards are: Kainat Akhtar (Manchester Metropolitan University); Jibraeel Ali (University of Salford); Millie Ashworth-Hill (Manchester Metropolitan University); Emily Downes (AMBS); David Egan (University of Salford); Nathaniel Gili-Ross (AMBS); Muhammad Ilham Qayyun Muhammad Najib (AMBS); Luca Oakes (University of Salford); and Muhammad Yazdan (Manchester Metropolitan University).
The 2026 David Illingworth Award winners were announced in July at an event that took place at Manchester Metropolitan University. This was attended by directors of MSCA Legacy Limited, Rod Sellers OBE, Alistair Hollows and Anna Hardy-Watmough, as well as Vince O’Brien, Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales,
Six of the recipients of this year’s awards were also in attendance, along with academics from the three universities.
During the event the audience heard from Anna Egan, head of finance and economics at Manchester Metropolitan University, Prof Georgios Voulgaris senior lecturer in accounting at AMBS, Charlene Wilson, lecturer in accounting at Salford Business School, and Sandie Bailey, head of fundraising development at Money Ready. A number of the award recipients also outlined their plans and aspirations for their future careers.
MSCA Legacy Limited administers and distributes the funds formerly held by the Manchester Society of Chartered Accountants (MSCA). It makes grants and awards for the benefit of accountancy and financial education in Greater Manchester, honouring the legacy of an organisation that sat at the heart of the city’s financial community for more than 150 years.
Founded in 1870, in recent years MSCA had operated as ICAEW Manchester, while maintaining its own governance structure. In 2023 its members voted to cease to be an independent entity and to become a network under the national ICAEW umbrella. At this point its endowment was entrusted to MSCA Legacy for the future benefit of the profession.
Rod Sellers OBE, director of MSCA Legacy, said, “The directors of MSCA Legacy have once again been hugely impressed by the standard of the students put forward for recognition. They represent the future of our profession and, on this evidence, it’s a hugely positive one.
“I would like to thank the staff at all three universities who helped identify this year’s recipients, and also CALC, whose continuing support has enabled us to recognise more outstanding students than ever before.”
Vince O’Brien, Master of WCCAEW, said, “CALC is proud once again to support the David Illingworth Awards, named in honour of our distinguished past Master. I wish the winners all the best in their continuing studies and future careers, which promise to have a material impact on our future economic success.”
In addition to announcing the recipients of this year’s awards, the event also confirmed that MSCA Legacy and the Livery Charity would make a further grant of £5,000 to the financial education charity Money Ready, extending the three organisations’ partnership for another year.
This grant will enable Money Ready to deliver five “Uni Ready” sessions at colleges across Greater Manchester, as well as making a contribution to the costs of Money Ready’s young adult further education programme.
Sandie Bailey, head of fundraising development at Money Ready, said, “As the debate around student loans and financing has moved to the front pages of the newspapers, the financial education we provide to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds considering the next stage of their studies has probably never been more important.
“We are grateful to MSCA Legacy and the Livery Charity for their continued support, which helps ensure that the next cohort can go to university armed with the skills and confidence to make the best of their money, and avoid the most common financial pitfalls of student life.
“As well as prospective university students, we also work with financially vulnerable young adults. MSCA Legacy’s continued support will help us deliver the vital education we provide to help these individuals achieve financial literacy, confidence and security.”
For further information contact:
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Rod Sellers OBE |
Stuart Anderson Director Alpha Public Relations sanderson@alphapr.co.uk 0161 791 0811 |