Spring into action with the LSCA

London Society President Malcolm Bacchus urges members to get involved with the LSCA and join one of the many groups that are actively helping to influence ICAEW policy, events and courses.

April 2018

Spring is here and there are some tiny buds appearing on the trees and bushes around London, so with that encouraging spring in my step, I am hoping to encourage you all to get involved with ICAEW and LSCA if you are not already.

I have heard complaints that ICAEW is disconnected from its members, or that it is not doing enough for them or it is doing the wrong things. But all ICAEW policy is driven by members and, although those of us already involved try very hard to take into account everybody’s wishes, the best way you can get your views known is by being involved yourself. And the best way you can get events that you want is by helping to organise them.

One of the main roles of the LSCA is to give policy input to ICAEW and to other bodies that affect London accountants. We have a number of committees and groups which help us in these areas and are always interested in having new members involved:

• Main Committee: deals with general policy
• Business Board: deals with business members interests and runs business events
• Regulation and Ethics Review Panel: looks at regulatory matters in practice and industry
• Technical Committee: covers audit and accounting matters
• Tax Committee: covers all tax issues
• Enterprise Committee: we hope to start up an enterprise committee to look at how practitioners and business members can promote London’s enterprise.

A second major role is planning events and courses. In addition to the Business Board, which deals with this for business members, we have area groups that focus mainly on practitioners’ CPD. These groups are based in North London, North West London, West London, South East London, and South West London.

In addition, there is a small practitioners’ group in Central London, a business members group in Canary Wharf and the thriving Younger Members London (YML). We are also setting up a Courses Working Party to look at new CPD offerings for both practice and business members.

Volunteers for the steering committees of these groups are very welcome. And we are always willing to look at new things if we have volunteers keen to help.

Time commitments are not onerous. Some of the committees only meet twice a year. Others, maybe four times. The hard work is done by the staff, for which we are very grateful, but the ideas come from those members who get involved.

So, what are you waiting for?

Please feel free to contact me, Malcolm Bacchus or Regional Director Harpreet Panesar to discuss, or talk to us at any one of the LSCA’s events. We’d love to hear from you.

Malcolm Bacchus is President of the London Society of Chartered Accountants

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