London Society of Chartered Accountants 150th Anniversary

The London Society of Chartered Accountants celebrates its 150th anniversary this April.

April 2021

Some people think of the District Societies as being a relatively recent offshoot of the ICAEW. But the first meeting of a London based body of accountants “The Institute of Accountants in London” pre-dated the Institute by around ten years. The London Institute, a forerunner of LSCA, was launched in April 1871, and this month we celebrate our 150th Anniversary.

Our Membership

Today, the LSCA represents roughly 36,000 ICAEW members in Greater London (almost ¼ of the profession in the UK), with events organised by the Society as a whole, as well as through a network of local Area Societies, Branches and Groups, and through a number of specialist sub-committees. We are constantly seeking new volunteers – take a look at my previous article on the benefits of volunteering and get in touch with me to find out more.

Being LSCA President

It is always an honour for any London member of ICAEW to became President of the LSCA – and for me it was an even bigger honour, because I would be President in the anniversary year. That was before the pandemic. In the absence of dinners and parties to celebrate this momentous occasion, I had the vision of producing a souvenir booklet to mark the event, and that is now in the final stages of production. A pdf should be available on the website within the next couple of months, so watch this space.

No-one should underestimate the enormous challenge of providing strong and positive leadership in the current circumstances. As LSCA President, I was looking forward to getting out and meeting our members, but that has not been possible. In my opinion, member engagement is very important, and so I have tried to do as much as possible virtually. This year we have been able to adapt our plans effectively and we shall continue to respond to situations as they emerge. I am proud of what the LSCA has achieved in this challenging environment. This has been a team effort and we will continue to work together for the good of our members, and businesses in London – hopefully for the next 150 years!