South West accountancy and advisory firm Bishop Fleming has been given the honour of officially opening the London Stock Exchange 2022.
The growing firm, which delivers audit, accounting and tax services, opened trading at the LSE’s Paternoster Square base in London, after being crowned Business of The Year at the British Chamber Business Awards in 2019.
The opening comes as Bishop Fleming records record turnover, along with its largest headcount, employing 420 people across seven offices in the South West and West Midlands: Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay, Truro and Worcester.
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Twelve employees from the firm’s Worcester office attended the opening ceremony which saw partner Chris Walklett deliver an opening address. The employees signed the Welcome Book and watched the presentation of the glass tablet.
They were accompanied by MP Robin Walker and the chief executive, chair and president from the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber.
Bishop Fleming, the 30th largest accountancy firm in the UK, headed to the national British Chamber Business Awards after winning the Regional Wellbeing Award at the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber Business Awards, in July 2019, having impressed judges with the development and implementation of its sustainable wellbeing programme.
The programme saw the firm recognise that having fit, healthy and happy employees provides a better client service, along with attracting and retaining the best people.
The firm then went on to win two awards at the National Chamber Awards - Business of The Year and the National Workplace Wellbeing Award and won the place to open the London Stock Exchange. The business also received a unique staff development experience from award sponsors, Facebook.
Chris Walklett, partner at Bishop Fleming, said: “We’re delighted to open the London Stock Exchange today and hope our best-practice approach, highlighted in the winning of these awards, inspires other businesses.
“To win multiple awards from the British Chamber is a source of immense pride for the business. We believe staff wellbeing is a right, not a privilege, and we’ve established an industry-leading culture that drives the success of our business.
“Opening the London Stock Exchange today is amazing recognition for our people, who work hard to deliver for clients and each other, and are the reason for our continued success.”
Ian Smith, chair at Bishop Fleming, said: “We’re so incredibly proud to have opened the London Stock Exchange today. It was fantastic to be given the opportunity, following winning at the British Chamber Awards. The double-win speaks volumes about the people and culture we have here at Bishop Fleming. It was our Bright Futures personal development cohort who designed and implemented a sustainable Wellbeing programme, so it’s great to receive this national recognition. We have ambitious plans for the future and continue to attract talented people to enable us to continue to grow and achieve our ambition to be recognised as the most rewarding accountancy firm in the UK for our people, our clients and our communities.”
BCC chair Sarah Howard said: “Bishop Fleming is a trusted advisor and strategic partner that has delivered exceptional services to its clients. A highly profitable firm that reinvests its profits in the business for the benefit of its people, technology and clients, and the wider community. Congratulations to the team at Bishop Fleming. We wish them every success, and hope they enjoy the opportunity to open the prestigious London Stock Exchange.”
